The Legend of Zelda: Heartbreak of Link
by The Fiercesomest Dragon Ever
Summary: Things are going well for Link and Zelda. However, on the night Link proclaims his love for Zelda, a new enemy emerges with her sights set on destroying Link in the most painful way possible... Heartbreak.
1. Prologue

Note: this story will be told mostly from Zelda's POV (point of view).

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, and that will (probably) not change throughout this story. Sad but true...

* * *

My name is Zelda, Princess of Hyrule and sole heir to the Hylian throne. I am seventeen years old, eighteen, come September, and have lived nearly every day of my life within the walls of the city. That is, of course, when I'm not in disguise or being kidnapped. 

Yes, I said kidnapped. I guess it's some kind of tradition nowadays that princess's get kidnapped and ransomed for their kingdoms, or something to that extent. Often I wonder, has there ever been a princess who has never been kidnapped? I highly doubt it. Of course, there was my older sister, Kayla, but, sadly, she died in rockslide near Kakariko village when she was four.

Our father, the king, had taken us to meet several important diplomats, (and their prospectively marriage-worthy sons), who lived near the foot of Death Mountain, (Even possessing the Triforce of Wisdom, I fail to understand why _anyone_ would think it a good idea to build their houses under a semi-active volcano.). The day we were preparing to leave, the volcano quaked a bit. It was hardly noticeable, not noticeable at all to us, but the people of the village assured us that this is what caused the rockslide that took my sister's life.

I was four at the time, (Kayla was only older by a few minutes. I suppose we could have been called twins, but I have always thought of her as the eldest.), so I have no real recollection of the tragic event, other than Impa, our faithful Sheikah attendant and guardian, calling us to come inside just before the rockslide started.

I went.

Kayla didn't.

Then I vaguely remember the funeral, and a long period where everyone dressed in black, and then… well… we moved on I suppose. No one really talked about what had happened. I'm sure I pained everyone greatly by asking where she was, especially Mother, but, in time, I stopped.

And so my sister became, probably, the first princess in the history of Hyrule to never be kidnapped.

Ugh, there I go again, rambling on like some old woman! I swear, it's all these Royal addresses to the court; they make you say ten words when one is more than enough.

Thank goodness that's not a problem for Link. Who's he? He's… well… my friend. More than a friend, more like a… er… uh…… sigh…. Well, there really aren't many words to describe someone like him. He's kind, and strong, and quiet, and loyal, and fierce when he needs to be, but gentle otherwise.

Oh, he's handsome too, I guess, but growing up as Royalty, I learned fairly early on that a handsome face doesn't make an honest man. What's the old saying? 'Beauty's only skin deep'? Well, it applies to guys too. You'd be amazed at how many arrogant, pompous, self-infatuated men try to weasel their way into our courts. It's sickening even to think about! Someday, I mean to- I'm doing it again, aren't I?

By the goddesses, you must be bored out of your mind listening to my prattling… what was I even talking about? I hate it when this happens… you talk so much so quickly, that by the time you finish, you've forgotten what you were saying… It will come to me…

Oh, yes- Link. But you've probably gotten a good enough idea of him already. He's the one who rescued me from Ganon, and who will rescue me if ever I need to be rescued again.

He is truly a hero.

My hero.

Never did I suspect that one day I would be the one saving him...


	2. Chapter 1

It all started fifteen minutes before Hyrule's spring festival. It is held every year to commemorate the return of spring, and, oh, it's such a troublesome thing to coordinate. You see, it can't be held on the same date every year, for in some years the frosts end as early as March, but others still have snow on the ground late into April, and it truly wouldn't do to commemorate a spring that hasn't yet come.

So as soon as spring shows signs of arriving, we must dispatch messengers to all the races of Hyrule to announce when the festival will be held. Anyone is free to attend, so you can only imagine what kind of turnouts we've had in years past, (an entire band of Gerudo thieves made for a very, ahem, _interesting_ time last year. It was all the guards could do to keep them from making off with the entire palace).

And then there are all the unforeseen _difficulties_, such as the Gorons sampling rocks from the castle walls, or worse, snow falling the day before the event. In that case, the whole thing must be rescheduled in a flash, (in other words, before the guests start arriving).

And then, of course, there's the matter of getting dressed for the occasion… not that I dress extravagantly or anything. I prefer my nice, normal court dress to any jewel-laden bunch of frills; but I've never been able to get away with dressing normally for state occasions. Somebody or other, (a.k.a, my father), always forcibly suggests that I wear this or that, and there is always my jeweled circlet. It's a little heavy, but you get used to it after wearing it your entire life.

This year, the only addition to the circlet was a delicate, silver necklace, from which hung a small, gold replica of the triforce. (I still secretly suspected my father to add to it at the last minute, but, for once, I was wrong)

Yes, so everything had been arranged. It was near evening, and all the guests, (or at least most of them), had already arrived and gathered in the throne/ball room, and I was standing just outside my room trying to fasten the clasp of my necklace. I thought I had gotten it before, but the wretched little thing came undone just as I stepped into the hallway. I was dreadfully pressed for time, and I thought I could do it without a mirror, but it proved more difficult than that. I must have stood there a good five minutes trying to fasten that blasted clasp, when I suddenly heard a voice.

"May I?"

It was Link. I must have been concentrating so fully on the necklace that I didn't hear him approach, "Oh, thank you Link!" I gave him the necklace and turned so he could put it on.

"So, what are you getting all dressed up for this time?" his breath was warm on the back of my neck as he fastened the necklace.

"Wha- you don't know? It's the spring festival!" I turned to him, how could he not know?

"Is it?" his face was deadly serious, but his deep blue eyes were filled with laughter, "Why, then, did I not receive an invitation to this important event?"

"You didn't receive it?" I looked at him worriedly, "I sent one; to be delivered to you personally."

This time he laughed out loud, "So _that's_ what happened! The man is probably still searching for me even now."

Smiling, I shook my head, "You always were hard to find. I'm sorry you never got it."

"I would have come anyway," he said, grinning broadly, "Nothing could keep me away from the celebration of spring."

"You mean to stay then?" I felt a thrill run through me, and hoped desperately that I wasn't blushing.

"Only for a little while." Link said, glancing out one of the windows in the hall, as if to get an idea of the time for some reason. He was never one for large, social gatherings; and I was quite surprised to find that he was going to stay for this one.

"Very well." Ugh, that sounded so snobbish, "I mean, er, oh, let's just go."

We walked side-by-side to one of the doors to the throne room. The nearest one required you to descend a staircase to reach the floor, which was perfectly alright with me. I didn't even consider that everyone would probably see us coming in. I was about to push it open, but, somehow the doormen knew we were here and opened them for us.

At the sound of the heavy, wooden doors, every head turned our way.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Link start slightly. Oh, no. I forgot how Link absolutely _hates_ to be the center of attention. Well, I didn't really _forget_; it just slipped my mind that by coming into the room this way, everyone had a nice, clear view of our entrance. Not being able to think of anything better at the time, I moved closer and put my hand on his arm. He glanced briefly in my direction, mouth partway open. I smiled apologetically, and nodded towards the stairs; hoping against hope that he wouldn't bolt in the other direction.

I swear, his face turned bright red, redder than my father's royal cloak, but he held out his arm courteously. I rested my arm on his and the two of us made our way down the marble steps. For a moment, I was sure I was going to trip, or he was going to trip, and we would tumble down the stairs to land in the midst of the guests. We didn't, thankfully, and, by the time we reached the floor, everyone had gone back to their own business. Almost everyone. I caught many would-be suitors glancing Link's way. Most of the older ones looked away almost instantly, and a few of the younger ones stared at him jealously.

I looked at Link; his face was still bright red, all the way to the tips of his ears, and he was adjusting his rough, Kokiri tunic self-consciously.

"I am _so_ sorry about that." I murmured to him, just loud enough for him to hear.

"It's nothing," he murmured back, "just warn me next time before we're being stared at by an entire kingdom."

"You handled it like a born prince,"

"I must've learned it from you." he motioned to the side with a slight nod, "here comes your father…"

"Zelda, my daughter," my father, the King of Hyrule greeted us both warmly, "and Link! How are you, my boy? It's been a while since I've seen you; where have you been?"

"Here and there. Delivering milk for Lon Lon ranch, advising the Zoras about their shark problem," He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing modestly, "that sort of thing."

"Well, I'm glad you found time to make it to the festival," he winked broadly in Link's direction, "and I suppose you have brought her a gift for the occasion?"

"Father!" I blushed. Link and I were closer than that. He didn't have to continuously shower me with presents to keep me happy. I stormed on, "Our friendship doesn't require- Just being together is enough!"

Just outside my peripheral vision, Link cleared his throat nervously, "Ahem… well… actually…"

I turned to face him, "Link?"

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, "I do, er, have a… a gift… of sorts. If you- would you, um, come with me to the palace gardens? More, um, privacy."

"I- of course." Needless to say, he had caught me off guard, "Excuse us, Father."

Link and I left the throne room by the main entrance. It was cool outside, and fairly dark, as early spring evenings tend to be; but with a small breath of freshness that could never be mistaken for anything but the new life of the maple and oak trees and the early blooming of flowers.

We walked through a small gate in the courtyard, and into the palace gardens. Many of the small, delicately trimmed bushes were just putting out leaves; and the high hedges lining the walls were still mostly see-through.

We came to a small, stone bench near a newly-thawed fountain. Link stood, his back to the fountain, and motioned for me to sit. The bench was cold, but I paid no mind, my full attention was on Link; he was acting somewhat… strange. It was hard to tell in the deepening dusk, but his cheeks looked rather flushed. What could he be up to?

He fumbled with the ties of a leather pouch at his side, "Just a… moment." He murmured.

To ease the silence, I decided to inquire about a certain, over-informative fairy who hadn't shown herself the entire night, "Where's Navi this evening?"

I was rewarded by a soft chuckle from Link as he continued to struggle with the stiff leather ties, "It's her night off."

With a final tug, the pouch at last came open. He drew out of it the Ocarina of Time.

I looked at him questioningly. Was he going to play for me? I felt myself smiling. Link's playing was legendary! (really, it was) And as such, he didn't play often; for he was exceedingly modest about his skill. I found this admirable, but I was always somewhat disappointed that he didn't play more.

"I- er- have a song… that I would like to… play to- play for you."

So he _was_ going to play! He was obviously extremely nervous, but I didn't quite understand why, "May I ask what it is called?" my voice was full of anticipation.

"You'll know..." And without another word, he put the ocarina to his lips and began to play.

I would know? How would I know? Hmm… I focused my concentration on Link's song; closing my eyes to get the full effect.

The melody started out slow, almost mournful; like the lonely wind whistling over barren, snow-covered mountains. It chilled me to listen; memories of bitter winters, the few, wretched winters when Ganondorf ruled, full of pain, full of starvation and freezing, filled my mind's eye. I felt a shiver run through me. It went on, and on; as though it would never end.

'What could a song like this be called?' I thought bitterly, 'the Song of Heartache? The Song of Frozen Tears?' Indeed, I felt tears threatening to escape down my cheeks, 'Why would he play something so heartrending…?'

I was on the verge of asking Link to stop, to stop bringing back the cold memories; when the sound of his playing seemed to change ever so slightly. A brighter note; a warmer tone. The memories of pain were slowly melted away. Life emerged in the song, hope, like a small flower breaking through the mantle of snow and ice, reaching for the sun that shone once more. The frail plant was joined by others; and the barren trees began to flower with song. The melody breathed life through the air. A soft, warm breeze blew through the budding leaves of the garden; thawing the frozen tears. The harsh winter was past. It was spring. Spring at last.

One of my withheld tears slipped down my cheek, "… the Song of Spring…" I whispered. That must be its name, for there was no other way of describing it. The joy of when the ice of winter finally melts, leaving the earth fresh and full of life. When the trees are clad in the bright green of new leaves and the sound of birds once more fills the air.

At long last, and to my great regret, the final notes of the song died away. Link took the ocarina from his lips, and opened his eyes, looking hopefully into mine, "You know what it's called?" he asked.

"The Song of Spring. Oh, Link, that was the most beautiful song I've ever heard!" I rose from the stone bench and embraced him warmly, burying my face in his shoulder, (he was probably pleased by my reaction, but I wasn't thinking about it at the time.). After a moment, I pulled away just enough to see his face, "Was I right? About the name?"

"Yes…" he replied, his crystal blue eyes locked into mine, "… you were right."

"Where did you learn such a song?" I asked, now realizing that I was still in his arms. I didn't mind, and he didn't seem to either.

"It's a Kokiri tradition," Link's words were soft, "to play the Song of Spring for the… the one… the one you…" Unconsciously, I had leaned in closer to him. I tilted my head back a little to still be able to see his eyes.

"The one you…?" I whispered. He seemed unable to get the words out. I felt my heart beat a little faster at the thought of what he would say.

"I… I love you, Zelda." The second he uttered the words, I felt my heart leap high in my chest. He loved me! After all this time, he had finally shown his true feelings; and I loved him back. Oh, how I loved him back.

"Link, I-" I gasped slightly. A sharp pain in my shoulder cut off my words. Confounded bugs, already stinging this early in the year. I jerked my head to the side to try and see the offender. He must have already flown off.

"Are you okay, Zelda?" Link asked, all concern.

"Yes… it was just a… bug." My vision blurred for a moment. I shook my head to clear it. Suddenly, I felt rather light-headed. "I think I need to… to sit down… for a moment." Feeling dizzier every second, I stumbled out of Link's arms and backwards onto the bench. The world was spinning… I felt very weak… I groaned and put my hands to my head. My arms felt like they were made of lead…

"Zelda? Are you sure you're alright? Zelda?" I was dimly aware of his hands gripping my shoulders, "Zelda, what's wrong?"

"I… I don't know…"

"... where did that bug sting you?" he suddenly asked.

"… shoulder…" I mumbled thickly. I barely recognized my own voice. I wondered if he had heard me; if I had even spoken out loud. The dizziness worsened. I felt like I was going to be sick. The pain in my shoulder returned for an instant, and I briefly saw Link holding a… a dart…

Slowly… my vision clouded over… Link was shouting… shaking me… trying to keep me awake… and then another voice shouting… the rasp of Link's sword from its scabbard… the sound dimmed… faded…I closed my eyes, and the darkness overtook me.


	3. Chapter 2

It was cold. Very cold. And… damp. As my senses started to filter back to me, these were the first things I became aware of. My thoughts were bleary and muddled. What happened? Where am I?

I propped myself dazedly up on my elbows and looked around. I was in some sort of cell; three walls were of stone, and the fourth of stout, metal bars. The grimy floor left a disgusting residue on my clothes and arms. How did I get here?

I shook myself, attempting to shake off the drowsy feeling that had settled on me. I remembered last night… there was Link, and his song, and then… what was it? It was a dart. I must have been drugged and taken. But why? And by whom? And what had happened to Link? I barely recalled hearing him draw his sword just before I passed out; was there a fight? I hope he wasn't hurt. I shook myself again and tried to stand. I put my hand on the wall for support, as I was quite unsteady. I closed my eyes for a moment, waiting for the dizziness to leave me. How I hated all the spinning…

"Erhg, lookit that, Glarsil," A voice on the other side of the bars drew me further into wakefulness, "she's wakin' up."

Another voice responded to the first,"Sure 'nuff. The Mistress'll be wantin' t'know. Ah'll tell 'er roight away."

The voices belonged to a pair of moblins. They were both dressed in heavy, black chainmail, and carried large pikes. The dim torchlight glittered menacingly off the weapons' jaggedly serrated edges.

One of the moblins thumped up an old, stone staircase and out of sight. The other immediately set to looking through the large wallet his buddy had left behind. Moblins are so considerate of one another… I was surprised to find that I still had on my circlet and the triforce necklace I had worn last evening.

The moblin continued rooting through the bag, paying to notice to me.

Seeing a chance to get a better look at my surroundings, (and look for a way to escape), I quietly approached the barred door to inspect the lock. It was large and rusty. It looked like it might not open even if I had the key. Hm… the key… Where would they keep a key to a cell door? Probably in a chest somewhere. That was no good. Maybe I could… erm… pick the lock? I'd had a few lock-picking excursions when I was disguised as my alter-ego, Sheik, back when Ganondorf took control of Hyrule. They were small locks though, mostly for grainhouse doors, or barns. Occasionally a house in a few, rather desperate winters; nothing big or especially difficult. I wasn't extremely skilled at picking locks, but it was worth a shot. I just needed something to use as a lockpick… I scanned the dimly lit cell. It was bare except for some rusty chains bolted to the wall, and a few, crumbling, stone blocks near the wall; neither of these were even remotely lockpick-like.

I heard the ring of small metal objects clinking together, and looked up. The moblin, who was still going through his companion's belongings, was wearing a keyring on his belt, strung with a good number of large keys. One of them had to be the key for this cell.

In moments, a plan took shape in my quickly recovering mind. I hefted one of the stray stone blocks and held it awkwardly behind my back. Now I just had to get the moblin's attention…

"Um, sir?" I asked, assuming the guard was indeed a 'sir'.

"Urngh?" He looked up from his pillaging, eyeing me with his beady black eyes.

Well, I had his attention. Now I just had to get him to come closer. "There's a, uh," I wracked my brain for something he would have to come and see, "crack in the wall. You might want to fix it before it gets big enough to escape through."

"Where? I don' see no cracks…" he looked at the back wall suspiciously.

"It's very, um, hard to see. You have to get closer." Ugh, that was the dumbest possible thing I could've said short of 'come over here so I can knock you out with this rock', but it worked. He stepped right up to the bars and peered intently at the perfectly-sound walls.

"I still don' see-" I brought the large stone down on his head with all the force I could muster. It disintegrated on impact, and, for a moment, I thought it hadn't hurt him. He just stood there staring dumbly forward.

Just as I began to consider getting another rock and taking a second crack at him, he heaved an enormous sigh, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped forward heavily against the bars.

In a flash I had removed the keyring from his belt. There had to be at least twenty keys of different shapes and sizes hanging from the metal ring. The size of the lock eliminated the possible use of the smallest keys; there were still a lot left, though. I would just have to try each one and hope one of them would work.

The first key didn't quite fit. The second was a tad too small. The third went into the lock, but wouldn't turn. The fourth, fifth, and sixth keys I tried refused to turn as well; and the seventh broke when I twisted it, leaving a piece of itself in the lock. I dug the end of it out with one of the smaller keys and continued trying. Finally, praying fervently that this was the right one, I put the fifteenth key in the lock and turned it. The lock clicked, and the bared door swung creakily open. The last key had opened the cell door. Figures…

Just as I hurried out of the cell, I heard the sound of voices, and the other moblin, along with a trio of Lizalfos, trooped down the stairs.

I froze; terror griping me like a vice. I had heard Link talk about Lizalfos before; quick as lightning and vicious with their glinting shortswords. There was no way I could try and defeat them. The only option I had was to flee; however, the staircase, on which they now stood, was the only way out. I briefly considered running back into the cell and getting another stone block to use as a weapon, but by the time I could use it, the other Lizalfos would have me. Come to think of it, they would probably be able to stop me before I could even make an attempt at lifting another of the stone blocks.

I remained motionless; hoping for another opportunity to arise.

The Lizalfos eyed me venomously. 'Are Lizalfos venomous?' I wondered, fighting down my panic as two of the three moved to stand on either side of me. Their shortswords were already held in their glittering claws, and they assumed a fighting posture.

I tried to keep a calm, collected look on my face; it worked with politicians, maybe it would help here as well. Who knows? I wasn't sure how they would react if I did anything else, so I didn't make any move.

The Lizalfo still in front of me was obviously the one in charge. He wore a gold medallion inscribed with a strange sign around his neck and carried a much finer sword than his two companions. His eyes widened at the sight of me; but he wiped the surprised look from his face and stood on the staircase, looking me directly in the eyes, his scaled lips twisted in a triumphant grin, exposing rows of sharp, white teeth, "Ssso, the princesss doess not like her roomsss?" he hissed sarcastically, "And I ssssee you have already taken the liberty to essscape. That isss jussst as well; for you are to leave at once."

Leave? I supposed this meant they didn't plan to kill me, (or at least not immediately), so I pulled together my courage and asked, in the most official, demanding voice I could muster, "Where?"

It came out well; more like a command than a question. The Lizalfo captain replied by looking me hard in the eyes, trying to stare me down. Not one to back down from something so trivial as a stare, I glared right back at him. His eyes were green, flecked with silver, with black, slits for pupils in the center; full of ferocity and authority. I heard the other two Lizalfos and the moblin readying their weapons, but I didn't let them interrupt my gaze.

After a minute or so, he growled, "You are to sssee the Missstrisss immediately." And turned to walk back up the stairs.

The other two Lizalfos prodded me after him while the moblin started lifting valuables from his pal, who was still unconscious on the ground.

I was led through a series of twisting hallways and trap-laden rooms. The traps seemed to be deactivated, for we walked through without harm. I wondered why they were set. The whole place was reminiscent of the Shadow Temple near the Kakariko Cemetary; creepy sounds included. Every now and then, a wallmaster attempted to pick up the Lizalfo captain, but he always dodged aside at the last minute and beat the disembodied hand into submission.

At last we came to a large, ornate door. The Lizalfo captain motioned to his subordinates to stop and knocked. A latch was undone on the inside of the door and it slid upward, disappearing into a slot in the ceiling. The room beyond was bright with torchlight; it took my eyes a moment to adjust as we entered. Once they had, I glanced about.

The room was very large, with an extremely high, arched ceiling. Or, at least it was arched until close to the top. Gigantic stalactites hung from the highest points; their tips just barely illuminated by the torchlight. The walls were still of rough hewn stone, but the floor was polished as smooth as glass. It felt almost like walking on ice; which was a rather strange sensation as this room was considerably warmer than the other parts of this… dungeon. I could see strange, red symbols, resembling the symbol on the Lizalfo captain's medallion, on the walls; they seemed to glow almost with a life of their own, pulsing with a beat somewhat like a heart. In the center of the far wall was the largest of these symbols. It pulsed more visibly than the rest, as though it were the heart causing the rest of the smaller symbols to pulse.

On the ground below the monumental symbol stood a figure wrapped in a dark, hooded cloak. I assumed this to be 'the Mistress'.

She seemed to be speaking to the wall, but I had no chance to discover why, for she stopped as we approached. The Lizalfo captain stopped and kneeled, as did his subordinates, while we were still a hundred feet or so away. I remained standing.

The cloaked figure laughed softly, "I see you have brought out prisoner, Captain Repkiliar. Good. You are dismissed. Oh, and keep a sharp eye out for our other guest."

The Lizalfos, all three, rose together and marched quickly out of the room, leaving me alone with the Mistress. The door slid back into place and locked. I turned my attention to the Mistress; there was an oddly familiar power emanating from the cloaked figure, but I couldn't quite remember where I knew it from. It made my stomach turn, not knowing.

"Well, well, well." Her voice as well seemed very- no, _extremely_- familiar… but I couldn't place it either… ugh, all this not remembering was giving me a headache. She had turned around, her face still obscured by the cloak's hood. "What an honor it is to have the legendary Princess Zelda grace our humble courts." She walked, or rather, glided slowly towards me.

"Who are you?" I asked warily. Of course, I realize that this question is incredibly cliché, but I couldn't think of anything more profound at the time.

The question was answered with a chuckle from my captor, "My, how cool in the face of danger. I'll remember that. My friends did not harm you? Good. That would be so much extra trouble." She circled me, "Hm, yes, very good. Dirt and travel wear will make it that much more believable."

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" I repeated. While I asked these questions, (that I was fairly sure would go unanswered), I sized up my situation. The floor, as I mentioned earlier, was slick, and the only door in the room was locked, so my chances of escape were pretty slim. In addition to that, I was almost certain that this 'Mistress' had some kind of magical abilities. I wasn't sure _what kind_; but she had them.

None of this boded well.

"Come, come, now," she said in a mildly amused voice, "Is asking questions the only thing you're capable of? I think not. Tell me about yourself. It's been so very long since we've been together. Why, I surely would have forgotten you altogether had I not my Seeing magic. How do you like being a princess?" A gloved hand reached out from the cloak, intending to brush the few strands of my golden hair that had escaped my circlet behind my ear.

I stepped away, however, "You kidnapped me so we could talk? Who are you?"

The Mistress clenched her fist in apparent frustration, "Questions again! I don't want questions. I merely wish to talk to you without being interrogated!" I felt the familiar power surge strongly through the air, "No more questions!" she sliced her gloved hand through the air.

"Fine… Tell me who you are." I gazed coolly at her hooded face.

The Mistress was silent for a moment; a bad sign, I thought. Then, she laughed out loud; a high, almost musical sound that echoed through the room. For some reason, I shivered. When she had stopped laughing enough to speak, she answered my bold play on words, "You never fail to astound me, Zelda! No one who knew my power would dare say such a thing to me; and if they did, well… there's no need to discuss it. I see that I will get nowhere unless you know to whom you are speaking." She took a step towards me.

I instinctively assumed a fighting stance Impa had taught me in the early days I masqueraded as Sheik.

The Mistress stopped where she stood.

"Oh, Zelda," she said, pulling back her hood with both of her gloved hands, "Don't tell me someone as esteemed as you would sink so low as to strike your own sister."

I gasped and involuntarily took a step back. Standing directly in front of me was my exact double, my twin, my long lost, presumed dead, sister… Kayla.


	4. Chapter 3

"Kayla?" I eyed my twin incredulously. "Is that really you?" I took a step towards her.

She nodded, her crystal blue eyes looking directly into mine, "Glad you remember me."

"How could I forget you?" I paused for a minute; my emotions fighting amongst themselves for dominance. It was a rather confusing feeling; being kidnapped and marched through a dungeon to meet your captor, who turns out to be your presumed dead sister. Still not knowing quite what to do or think, I asked dumbly, "But… how?"

"You remember the rockslide, correct?"

Faded memories of the tragic event flitted through my mind's eye.

"Yes," she continued icily, "well, the moment before the rocks were upon me, a kind stranger put up a magic barrier around me and pulled me free from the chaos. The road back to you and father was blocked, so the stranger took me in until the path was clear." My sister combed her golden hair behind her ear with a gloved hand, much the way I did mine when it was unruly, "The day after the road had been unblocked, he offered me a choice: I could go back to being a princess of Hyrule, and live in a stuffy old castle, and grow up in the courts, and learn to rule a little kingdom. Or…" Kayla made a motion in the air, and a small, red ball of energy appeared, floating over her hand. "I could remain with him and learn the magic arts. My choice was clear."

Finally one of my emotions took hold: suspicion. Is that an emotion? Well, whatever it was, I felt suddenly wary. That ball of red energy… it had the same strange power emanating from it.

"Why didn't you send word to us?" I asked.

"Do you really think Father would have allowed me to stay?" Kayla snapped, "The man's name matters not so much as what happened between us." She continued, "Over the years, he became like a… a second father to me. He taught me many things. Many, many things." The red ball of energy morphed into several different shapes. A square. A loop. A pyramid. All perfectly geometrical. "I soaked the knowledge in like a sponge. Once I knew the basics, he began teaching me more… complex spells."

The energy formed into the shape of a small horse. It reared and pawed the air with its front hooves. It was so realistic, I could have sworn I heard it neigh. Kayla closed her hand, and the energy disappeared. "He had many lofty goals for me. Goals of power. It was around this time I first became aware that the magic I had been learning, and was mastering, was corrupting me. And, oh, how powerful I became because of that corruption. The time soon came to test our capabilities." She paused, as if recalling pleasant times, "And test them we did. Successfully, I might add. He and I together, we had the power to rule the earth with iron fists; as was our plan. It soon became apparent that we were made for one another. We were married in the dead of winter by an elderly priest living in the hills." She shrugged a bit, "Fifteen was young for marriage, but far from unheard of."

My sister married at fifteen! I hardly even understood marriage when I was fifteen! Well, I guess I kind of did, but it wasn't very important to me at the time. If I recall correctly, that was during the time when…

Kayla continued, interrupting my thoughts, "Things went wonderfully for a while, our influence soon would have spread from Hyrule and into the neighboring kingdoms, until…" She narrowed her eyes, "_He_ came along."

"He?" I felt an odd, twisting sensation in my stomach, for, after listening to my sister's tale of slow corruption, I had a sickening premonition that I knew who it was.

"Yes. The green-clad fool of the forest. The one who would 'save' Hyrule. The alleged Hero of Time." She spat the words out like they were poison, and continued in growing rage, "That worthless _dog_, not being able to stand against us on his own legs, gathered the help of the _sages_ and their goddess-lent powers." The air around Kayla shimmered, "He managed to banish my love to the sacred realms; but I remained hidden from his knowing. I solemnly vowed to someday have my revenge. And that day has finally come."

Link. My sister wanted revenge on _Link_. For destroying _Ganondorf_. The one who had tried to _destroy Hyrule_. The one she was _married to_. That meant Ganondorf was my half-brother. If I hadn't been so utterly terrified of what would happen, I would have fainted dead away.

"Oh, and don't think for a moment that I've forgotten your bit in all this." Kayla glared at me. I felt a strange, gripping energy and slowly realized that I couldn't move. "Ganon tried to bring you to our side; remember his visit that night so many years ago? He offered for you to join us, using a bit of _persuasion_," I remembered. It was just before Impa and I made our hasty retreat from the castle. Kayla's brow darkened, "but that pesky attendant, Impa, had to come and whisk you away before his magic could take full hold over you."

She continued, taking a step closer to me, "And I later came to understand that it was _you_, in the guise of a Sheikah, guiding that scarecrow of a hero to the sages. And in the end, it was you who held Ganon down, and empowered the Master Sword so the fool could strike the final blow."

She was standing directly in front of me now. I didn't try to run, for I knew her spell would prevent me from it. I just stood and faced her.

"Rightly, it should be _you_ I'm seeking revenge upon; for he couldn't have defeated Ganon alone." Her eyes narrowed again, and she held up one hand at neck level. Suddenly, it became harder to breathe. She was using some kind of… of force spell.

Counterspell, counterspell, I wracked my brain for something to counter her force spell with. The world swam before my eyes, and there was a dull ringing in my ears. It was too late for a barrier, but I tried it anyway. I whispered the words with the remaining breath I had. The ringing in my ears intensified for a moment, and then abruptly stopped. Next thing I knew, I was kneeling on the ground, gasping for air.

"A barrier?" her gaze had not softened toward me, but the air was no longer shimmering around her, "Is that the best you can do? And here I was; all prepared for a counter attack. You're far more pathetic than I thought you were. I suppose, under the circumstances, I shouldn't have expected much…" Kayla strode around me and stopped, her back facing me, "You know, really, you've given me everything I need. Happiness, sadness, surprise, pain, fear, bravery, desperation." She looked over her shoulder at me, "Quite a wide range."

By this time, I had gotten to my feet. I clenched my fists, "Range of what? What are you doing, Kayla?"

"It's Mistress Kayla!" she snapped, energy pulsing around her.

I threw up a quick barrier to protect me from any force spells she might try and use. It was a weak shield; ugh, I knew I should have practiced my magic more often…

The energy around my sister faded, and she spoke, "You _still_ don't know what I'm planning?"

I remained silent. From what I had gathered, she was going to kill me and Link in order to get revenge for us killing Ganondorf. But… that… didn't quite make sense. Why would she have kept me alive this long? And why didn't she just kill me and Link when we were alone in the castle gardens? Darts could just have easily been poisoned as drugged.

"Hm. At least you have a few grains of intelligence." Mistress Kayla crossed her arms, "You're right, I'm not going to kill you. That would be a terrible waste, and would serve to… ahem… hinder my plans somewhat." She cleared her throat.

Hm. Okay, so she wasn't going to- wait… I stopped, I didn't say any of that out loud, did I?

"No, you didn't." She smiled smugly, "That's right; I can read your thoughts. It took ages to learn; and it only works at close range, but it's quite a… useful… skill."

How _stupid_ could I have been not to realize it? I should have known; her having learned from Ganondorf… and I didn't know any barriers for _thought reading_… I'd never heard of it before! Was Ganondorf able to read thoughts too?

"No!" Kayla laughed, "I didn't learn _everything_ from Ganondorf. I taught myself a few… more potent spells after he was gone. But you're still wondering what I'm planning. Since you won't be able to tell anyone else anyway, I may as well explain it." She shook her head, "I'm truly disappointed that you haven't been able to figure it out, sister. I'm not planning on killing you, or that 'hero' of yours either. Not immediately, anyway. I'm going to- well, why don't I just _show_ you."

I had a really bad feeling about this. Mistress Kayla circled her arms in the air, forming the shape of an ancient, magic symbol. My barrier was instantly shattered by a rush of red magic. It circled around me, swirling like a small tornado, and before I could even try and counter it, (not that it would have done any good to try), I was lifted clear off the ground. I closed my eyes against the magic rushing around me, instinctively uttering the words for Nayru's Love. The protection it gave was nothing compared to my sister's advanced magic, but it pushed away the dizzy, spinning feeling.

I unclenched my teeth and opened my eyes as I felt the magic recede and I touched back on the ground.

My Nayru's Love spell faded, and I looked around to see what damage Kayla's spell had done.

Imagine my surprise at seeing Kayla standing in front of me, dressed exactly as I was! It was like looking into a mirror; everything about her was identical to me; right down to the Royal circlet resting on her brow. It was a perfect duplicate.

I then realized that I was dressed exactly as she had been before she cast the spell. It wasn't a duplicate; we had switched clothes. Her hooded robe was heavy and warm. I also had on her long-sleeved, black tunic and breaches, and her thick gloves. I immediately reached up and undid the robe's clasp; allowing it to drop to the floor, and pulled off the gloves, tossing them on top of the robe.

"What is the meaning of this?" I must say, I was quite indignant.

"I suppose I'll have to spell it out for you," Kayla smoothed the wrinkles out of my court dress, "I'm going to take your place. Not only will I be the undisputed successor to the throne, but I will be able to have my complete revenge on the Hero of Time."

"You won't be able to fool him," I glared at her coolly, "Just because you look like me, doesn't mean you can move in unnoticed."

"Oh, but I will." Mistress Kayla strode regally up to me, "You see, I've been watching you, sister. Ever since I learned to See. I know how you walk; I know how you talk. I know every one of your habits and routines." She leaned in close, mocking me to my face, "And now, thanks to our little 'talk', I even know how you think. How you react. I've even practiced so our handwriting is identical. No one will realize the switch, not even your precious _hero_." Her eyes narrowed menacingly, "And that will be the fun part. First, I'll break his heart. Then, I'll break his spirit. And finally, I'll break his bones. One. By. One."

I didn't think, so she had no way of preventing it. I could endure her distain for Link, but when she spoke of actually _harming_ him, I endured no further. With a lightning fast movement that could have put a Lizalfo's speed to shame, I kicked her feet out from under her and pinned her down to the floor.

"Don't you _dare_ hurt Link!" I growled, leaning over top of her, my bare hands gripping her bare throat.

"Ooh, touchy, aren't you?" she smiled. A short blast of red magic had me sliding across the floor a moment later. "Quite a rash move, sister." She said, dusting herself off, "Very unexpected. I didn't think you were one for physical violence, but then again, appearances _can_ be deceiving."

I was back on my feet in an instant, but I didn't make another move. I was no longer loath to attack my sister; she had threatened Hyrule, she had threatened Link. It was quite clear that she wouldn't listen to reason, and, well, there was no other option. However, she was much, much too strong for me to fight alone with magic; and her magical prowess probably augmented her physical strength as well. I was horribly outmatched; and I knew it.

In the recess of my mind, I felt grimly thankful for our switch of clothes; her tunic and breaches provided a lot more freedom of movement than my court dress.

Just as I completed this thought, a massive wall of magic slammed against my consciousness. I staggered back, sliding a little on the smooth floor, holding my hands to my head. It felt like I'd been struck by a tree… ugh… another blow followed the first, and I sank to the ground, stunned and barely conscious.

My sight cleared, and I saw Kayla standing over me. I rolled quickly away, but she managed to catch hold of my wrist. I jerked and twisted to get free from her grasp, trying every move Impa had taught me for escaping situations like this.

"Let go of me!" I shouted in frustration, and struck at her with my free hand.

She caught my fist in her other hand, her eyes glinting dangerously, "Not this time, sister." Another magical blow to my consciousness caused me to gasp and stop struggling momentarily. "And now, to make the disguise complete." Her grip tightened on my right wrist. A fierce, burning power surged down my arm as she chanted, "Diynvi Nlekol Frjiale!"

Her power shrieked through my veins; tearing, it seemed, at my very being. I clenched my teeth together to keep from crying out, and concentrated hard on not fainting. I prayed for protection from the goddesses as I struggled to fight the darkness that threatened to claim me. Must… not… give in… The magic blazed within me until I felt I could bear it no more.

At last, it left me in a rush to return to Kayla. I gasped and dropped to my hands and knees; breathing hard. It felt as though all the energy had been drained out of me. My right hand burned terribly.

When I had recovered enough to open my eyes, I examined the back of my hand. There was no mark; the skin was smooth and unblemished; however, something was horribly, horribly wrong. It took me a minute to realize what it was.

My Triforce mark.

_It was gone_.

I jerkily rose to my feet, "What did you do to me?"

My sister's triumphant laugh echoed through the enormous chamber. She held her right hand up to display the mark of the Triforce, "Oh, I didn't do anything to you. I'm merely borrowing your piece of the Triforce for an indefinite amount of time. You see, our genetic make-up is so similar, it allows me to transfer the Triforce of Wisdom between us. Of course, it only works when we're in direct contact with each other. I've heard Ganondorf talk about what it's like to possess a piece of the Triforce, but I never fully imagined it could be so enticingly powerful." She laughed again; the crystal clear sound reverberating throughout the room.

The door at the end of the chamber slid open and the Lizalfo captain stepped in. He knelt in the doorway and announced, "Our guessst hasss arrived, Missstresss."

Kayla answered briefly, "Good. Prepare to escort my sister to the eastern fortress." Turning back to me, she smiled, "I'm afraid I must attend to other matters. Don't worry, though. Once I've finished my business with the hero, I'll come and visit."

"You'll never get away with this." I growled. I hadn't meant to growl, exactly, but my throat was choked with grief, knowing that my threat was a weak one.

"You know, sister, I like you a lot better when you're quiet." She placed her hand across my lips and murmured something unintelligible.

My breath was wrenched from my lungs, and I had to fight to get it back. I shouted angrily, "…" My voice didn't respond. She had silenced me. I couldn't use magic, or even speak. Anger rose within me; was there anything she not taken from me? I carefully resisted the urge to attack her again; without the ability to put up a magical barrier, I was even more vulnerable than before.

"Farewell, sister." Kayla smiled, "May your journey be swift and untroubled."

The two Lizalfos from before approached and bound my wrists and half-walked, half-dragged me out of the room; while I sent Kayla as many images of her slow, horrible, painful death as I could imagine. She may have silenced my voice, but she couldn't silence my thoughts.

She just smiledat meuntil the door to the chamber slid closed; blocking her mind-reading ability.

As I was hurried through the dark, dank tunnels, my anger faded, and my doubt arose. My surety that Kayla would be stopped wavered. What if she wasn't discovered? She knew everything about me; the way I acted, the way I thought, everything. I was probably the only person who would know the truth; and I was being dragged off to some, discreet hideaway until she saw fit to release me.

We stopped in a large room to wait for the Lizalfo captain. The two Lizalfos spoke to each other briefly of the location of the secret exit we were to use so we wouldn't be tracked.

I swallowed hard as the Lizalfo captain arrived from a different tunnel, leading enough horses for himself, his two subordinates, and me.

What in Nayru's name was I going to do?


	5. Chapter 4

Author's note: This chapter is in Link's point of view

Thanks for all the reviews!

* * *

Like a streak of crimson, Epona raced through Hyrule field. Crouching low in the saddle, I rode as though we were one. Our hearts beat together as the wind rushed over us. I dashed my blonde hair out of my eyes with one hand and tightened my hold on Epona's mane; urging her to go faster. My breath came as hers did. 

We neared the Zora River, but were far from the bridge. It made no matter. I felt Epona's muscles gather for the jump, and we cleared the river without a second thought, landing on the other side as though we had never left the ground.

My blood was hot as it coursed through my body. Hot with anger at myself for not being able to stop Zelda's kidnappers the night before. How could I have been so _stupid_ as to get knocked out from behind? I should have guessed there would be more than one…

Impa tried to assure me that there was nothing I could have done; several guards heard the commotion, and rushed out in time to see the last of a group of Lizalfos escape over the castle walls. She also tried to dissuade me from going after them as soon as I had awakened, but, thankfully, she recognized that I was in no mood to argue and let me go shortly after forcing me to eat something. I was too preoccupied to taste the food; I wolfed it down in mere seconds and hurried out of the castle to call Epona.

The kidnapper's tracks were reportedly found heading through the thick forest to the west of Death Mountain. That part of the woods was filled with briar bushes and close-grown shrubs and trees, making it nearly impossible to go on horseback. I could have followed them on foot, but I knew a better way.

As we neared the trail to Kakariko Village, I didn't dismount at the entrance to the mountain pass. There was no time to waste.

Startled townspeople leapt clear of our path as Epona and I galloped through the town square. She gathered herself again as we neared the gate protected by the Hylian Guard. He was ever faithful to his post, and was easily persuaded to open the gate, but there was no need to trouble him.

The look on his face as we soared over the gate was priceless, but I didn't take the time to enjoy it. My jaw was set firmly as we traveled over the rocky terrain.

Now came the tricky part. The ground rumbled as molten rocks were spewed out of the mouth of Death Mountain. I sat straight in the saddle, holding my Hylian shield in both hands to deflect any rocks that threatened to hit me or my gallant steed. Grimacing, I knocked away a large chunk of stone while directing Epona towards a small gap in the rock wall on the left of the trail. Her ears flicked back agitatedly at the sound of the rocks striking my metal shield. I protected us as she clambered through the gap. As soon as we were on the other side, the rocks ceased to fall.

I sighed with relief, returning my shield to its usual place. This ride wasn't over, but at least there wouldn't be any more flaming rocks tumbling down on us.

Epona snorted a little, reminding me that we should be moving.

We had to take this part more slowly; the western forest grew right up to the edge of the mountains, and there wasn't a clear path to follow. The trees in this forest were much smaller than the ancient giants I was used to in the Kokiri Forest; they also grew much closer together, making it hard for us to press through the tangled underbrush.

The air was dry; almost stifling.

Wiry branches, tough and weathered by the fierce wind that often blew through the mountains, clutched at my tunic, and tried to snarl themselves in Epona's mane and tail.

After what seemed like hours, we pressed through a screen of saplings into a deeper part of the forest, where the trees were somewhat bigger, leaving a bit more room for us to walk.

If I was right in my figuring, the tracks should pick up somewhere around here.

I guided Epona through the trees, scanning the ground for a sign of the Lizalfos.

There.

It was some kind of narrow trail; hardly visible in the underbrush. The tracks had been disguised carefully, and leaves and pine needles were scattered across the trail in an almost natural manner. It was odd that Lizalfos should hide their trail like this; but then again, it was unusual for them to go around kidnapping princesses. I was still amazed that one of them actually used a drugged dart instead of a swordblow to knock Zelda out. I didn't even know they were capable of using them.

The one thing I did know was that those Lizalfos should have killed me in the castle gardens when they had the chance; they won't be getting another one.

The trail widened a bit after the first couple of miles, and the tracks were a little less-well disguised. It seemed this path was used frequently, for it was swept clean of leaves. Or perhaps that was done by the wind... It could have swept it clear easily, for the open ground here lacked the protection of the small, wiry-branched trees. In any case, we were definitely headed in the right direction.

My thoughts wandered to Zelda. I had finally done it. After all this time, I had finally told her I loved her. And then she was kidnapped. That definitely did not bode well for our relationship. And I was still unsure if she loved me the same way I love her. I felt my stomach turn within me. You would have thought that after all we had been through, I could be sure. And yet…

I shook my head fiercely, trying to dislodge my errant thoughts. I was the Hero of Time; I could deal with my feelings for Zelda after I rescued her. No use getting too far ahead of myself.

Still my thoughts continued to wander…

I urged Epona into a gallop, trying to make myself think of other things. The sky was cloudy, seemingly deciding whether to rain or not. The air was still hot and stifling; smelling of ash and dry leaves. There was a small fringe of scraggly, tan-colored grass growing alongside the path. The path was wide and straight. The pebbles on the on the path were small and somewhat reddish-brown.

I held a hand to my head; this wasn't working. Plus, it was making me feel really, really stupid. I would just have to deal with it.

Epona's smooth gait ate up the miles like I ate breakfast. The trees thinned out a little as we went on. It was strange how few leaves they had; the shallow soil must not contribute much to the plants' health. The trail turned sharply north, coming to an abrupt halt at the foot of an enormous mountain; Death Mountain's equal in height, if not greater. A great cave yawned in front of us; dark and foreboding. The tracks led unerringly into the mouth of the cavern.

The gravelly path crunched under my feet as I dismounted. I laid a hand on Epona's shoulder, telling her to wait for me here.

I readied my shield, and drew my sword, the Master Sword, with a sharp ring of metal on metal from its scabbard.

Pausing just outside the cave entrance, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, further steeling my determination, as I always did before entering a dungeon; allowing the cool, familiar weight of the Master Sword in my hand calm my rampant emotions.

I was ready.

I opened my eyes and strode with a will into the jaws of the mountain; ready to face whatever lied in wait for me.


	6. Chapter 5

Author's note:

Sorry it took so long for me to update; Link's a lot harder for me to write than Zelda, but I really needed to do this part from his point of view.

Thanks for all the reviews!

Please don't flame me if this chapter's not as good as my others...

Anyways, on with the story-

(Link's point of view)

* * *

Before I had gone a hundred feet into the cave, I heard a familiar, high-pitched voice calling me. 

"Link! Hey! Wait! WAIT!"

Uh-oh. I turned around, preparing for the scolding I was about to get from my no-doubt agitated fairy partner.

"What's the big idea, ditching me like that!" Navi zinged past my ear, bobbing up and down angrily, "You said you'd be back by morning, and YOU WEREN'T!"

I didn't try to explain; she was going to continue yelling for a while anyway, so I might as well wait until she calmed down a little.

And yell she did, even more than usual, while whizzing around my head in an enraged-fairy manner, "DO YOU HAVE _ANY IDEA_ HOW _HARD_ IT IS TO TRACK YOU DOWN WHEN YOU'RE NOT WHERE YOU SAID YOU WOULD BE? IT'S LIKE SEARCHING FOR A… A… _A SPLINTER IN A HAYSTACK!_"

"Don't you mean a needle in a haystack?"

My exhausted fairy landed on my shoulder to regain her breath. "No." she said sulkily, "I mean splinter. Splinters are harder to find than needles." Satisfied with her ranting and raving, and happy to have explained something to me, Navi calmed down. "So, how did your visit with Zelda go? Did you play the Song of Spring for her? What did she say?"

Knowing she wouldn't be satisfied until she heard some of the story, I briefly explained what happened, ending with how I had tracked her abductors here.

"Kidnapped? Again?" Navi said incredulously, "Sheesh! How many people could possibly _want_ to kidnap her? I knew I should have been there with you. I could have spotted those Lizalfos from a mile away, and warned you, or at least _tried _to warn you. You really need to listen to me more if you want to stay out of trouble, you know, Link? Link? Hey, are you listening? What is it with you and listening? Hello-o-o-o-o!"

"Shh, Navi, I'm trying to listen." The hair on the back of my neck pricked up, alerting me to something…

"That's more like it!" Navi continued, "Now, where was I…"

My instincts shrieked at me to move, and I dove forward, landing in a roll.

I came up standing, just in time to see a wallmaster drop to the place I stood a moment before. I quickly dispatched the giant, disembodied hand with a few strokes of the Master Sword.

Turning to Navi, I smiled, "You were saying?"

"Oh… er… yeah." Navi's wings drooped, "Um, look. Can we… er… just forget about this whole conversation and move on?"

"Done." I readily agreed, and together we headed further into the darkness of the cave.

---------------

A yell tore from my throat as I buried my sword in the heart of a Lizalfo soldier.

"Link! There's another behind you!" Navi shouted.

I whirled, striking the sword-wielding reptile down before it had time to react.

Glancing warily about the large room, I was satisfied to see that no more Lizalfo soldiers remained.

I knelt to examine the body of the Lizalfo I had just killed. It wore a strange medallion around its neck. I picked it, turning it over in my hand. An unusual symbol was engraved on one side. Strange…

I returned the medallion to its owner and turned to face the enormous door that now stood in front of us. I had already traversed most of the dungeon, but hadn't come across any sort of key I could use to open it. The door was large, reaching clear up to the ceiling. Its surface was carefully inscribed with many strange symbols, some not unlike the symbol on the Lizalfo's medallion. Hm…

"Maybe we should knock?" Navi suggested.

I considered this and shrugged; why not? I knocked twice on the large, stone door. Nothing happened. What else could I try? I had already searched the dungeon high and low for a key, though I didn't know what good it would do, for there was no keyhole. There weren't any switches or levers that would open it, or any impact-triggered mechanisms; targets that, when hit with an arrow or slingshot stone, would open something. Not that I had thought to bring my bow or slingshot.

I couldn't think of any other ways to open the doors; except blowing them up, but I was out of bombs. I stopped carrying them around after a flaming keese rammed into me and ignited my entire supply at once. That was pretty messy.

So how was I going to get in? I racked my brain again and again for the solution to this puzzle… and came up with a blank.

"Maybe you could just hack your way in with the Master Sword?" Navi fluttered in front of me.

"The Master Sword won't cut through stone." I muttered, still searching for a way to get in. I looked at the door. It was still just as solid and unmoving as before. For all I knew, this was the only thing between me and Zelda, and I couldn't get through. Becoming frustrated, I delivered a hard kick to the portion of the door nearest the floor.

There was a click, and the door slid upwards.

Navi and I watched, dumbfounded, as the door disappeared into a slot in the ceiling.

"I was just about to suggest doing that…" Navi grumbled as I strode past her and into the room beyond the door.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the bright torchlight as I slid to a stop. The floor was smooth, like glass, only it looked to be stone. The room was huge; probably half a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide. The ceiling curved upward into darkness, out of which a number of deadly-looking spikes hung, point downward. I paid them little mind, though, for my eyes were riveted on the enormous, glowing red symbol pulsating on the far wall. Many other identical symbols adorned the walls on my left and right; all pulsing in time with the large one.

"Woah," Navi hovered by my ear, "This is definitely the boss room!"

I silently agreed with her, and carefully made my way across the room.

The enormous door slid shut behind us; locking with an ominous 'click'.

As we neared the far wall, the gigantic symbol's pulsing quickened. I readied my sword, assuming a defensive posture; shield up, knees slightly bent.

A red mist began to seep out of the red symbol, now pulsating so quickly it was solidly bright. The mist gathered on the floor, taking form.

There was a bright flash of light, and standing in front of me was a larger than normal, red Lizalfo covered with symbols, much like the ones on the walls, and bearing a magical-looking staff.

It laughed a dry, scaly laugh and pointed at me with its clawed hand, "You ssseek to ressscue the princessss? Fool! You stand no chance againssst me, puny human!" Again it laughed.

Gritting my teeth, I rushed the Lizalfo, swinging the Master Sword with all my might. Just as the blade was about to connect, the Lizalfo vanished. I skidded to a stop, turning around quickly to see the red Lizalfo facing me; standing once more where it had vanished from a moment ago.

"Your toysss are uselessss against me, hero. No weapon of yoursss is even capable of touching me!" I gripped my sword tighter as I watched my foe lift off the ground, surrounded by magical energy. His red eyes glowed maniacally as he glared down at me, "Now, bow before my power!"

I raised my shield just in time to block a magic blast from the Lizalfo's staff. I had never seen a Lizalfo that could use magic before! Was this going to become a common thing? The force of the blow sent me spinning into the wall. I shook my head and righted myself.

"Link! Look out!" Navi's high-pitched cry reached my dizzy consciousness.

I reacted immediately, dropping to the ground and using the wall to send myself sliding across the floor on my back, narrowly avoiding another magic blast and a large stalactite that dropped from the ceiling. The spike shattered when it collided with the floor; sending bits of rock skittering everywhere.

"Help me out here, Navi!" I shouted, rolling to my feet and dodging another magical blast.

"Okay, okay, just give me a second!" the blue fairy zipped up to the magic-casting reptile, circling it a few times. The Lizalfo swung its staff, trying to swat her away, sending a blast of magic each time the staff changed direction.

I leaped out of the path of the blasts, just barely getting to my feet before another gigantic stalactite dropped towards me.

Rock bits skittered across the floor again as the stalactite shattered.

"Navi!"

Immediately she zipped down to report, "This guy's tough, I'm not sure what his weakness is."

"That's it! No helpful information at all?" Figures the one time I really need help, she cant' tell me anything.

"Well, you _might_ be able to hit his energy back at him like you did with Ganondorf," She said hurriedly, "I mean, the Master Sword does repel evil magic, right?"

"Ri-" I started to reply, but was cut off by another magic blast. My shoulder burned as I slid across the floor. Mental note to self… never, ever, EVER hold a conversation in the midst of battle…

Despite the pain, I was back on my feet in a second.

I saw his next blast coming.

I swung my sword…

… and connected with the magic blast!

It hurtled back at the Lizalfo, stunning him. He lowered to the floor, panting.

I dove forward, swinging downward with my sword. Once more, he vanished a fraction of a second before the Master Sword made contact.

My momentum caused me to slide another ten feet before stopping. I jumped aside as a stalactite plummeted towards me.

Hm… time slowed down for a moment as I began to realize how this battle was working. Two magic blasts… then a stalactite… This guy had a pattern! After every second magic attack, a stalactite fell. Could I use this against him?

I snapped back to reality as a blast of magic almost took my head off.

This was going to be tricky. I moved backward until I felt the wall behind me, leaving enough room to safely swing my sword.

I saw the magic coming, and brought my sword down like lightning to hit it back.

The blast of magic was flung back to its owner, who, not expecting it, tried, but failed, to counter it.

As the Lizalfo lowered to the floor again, I pushed off the wall, heading straight for him.

He was on the floor by now. I sped up and, when I was about three feet from his bent form, jumped with all my might, straight overtop of him.

There was a resounding 'CRACK' as one of the largest stalactites broke free of the ceiling.

I landed crookedly and fell on my side, sliding to a stop a few feet away. I looked up just in time to see the stalactite hit the Lizalfo right between his great shoulder blades.

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment; the red Lizalfo's eyes were wide, his mouth open in amazement and pain.

Then, with an earthquake-like rumble, the stalactite shattered, laying the magic-using Lizalfo low.

I rushed forward; the Lizalfo was still alive, but fading fast.

"Where's Princess Zelda?" I demanded.

The Lizalfo gave a hissing laugh that deteriorated into a feeble cough, "You are too late, hero. Even now, she is being offered as a sssacrifice to our grand leader; Lord Karakalbiim!"

"What! Where!"

He chuckled weakly, his life slipping away, "You wish to sssee the ceremony, perhapsss?" The dying Lizalfo pointed his staff at the wall with the scarlet symbol on it. The wall crumbled away instantly, revealing another chamber.

A huge, golden statue of a Lizalfo warrior stood against the wall, one claw gripping a fearsome-looking serrated shortsword, the other claw outstretched as if to take hold of anything it sought for its own.

Lying unconscious on a flat, solid stone table in front of the statue was Zelda.

A Lizalfo soldier stood over her; a jeweled knife held high in his claw, preparing to strike.

There was no chance of me getting to her in time.

Mentally cursing myself for not bringing my bow and arrows with me, I grabbed a chunk of stone from one of the stalactites and dashed forward. Putting all my strength into the only action that could possibly save her life, I threw the rock, aiming for the knife.

I missed.

The rock cracked perfectly in half on the Lizalfo's skull. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed backward. The jeweled knife clattered to the floor.

"Zelda!" Ignoring the Lizalfo soldier I had just knocked out, I rushed to her side.

I felt my heart beat faster as I looked at her.

She was still dressed in her court dress; her favorite one, and the one she was wearing last night. It was ragged from the ordeal she had gone through. Her face was unhealthily pale. The drug from the dart probably hadn't worn off yet.

"Can you hear me, Zelda? Come on, Zel, wake up, it's me. Please wake up."

I carefully brushed her disheveled hair out of her face, my hand gently stroked against her cheek. At my touch, she stirred and opened her eyes.

"Link?" she mumbled sleepily, "Where am I?" She sat up looking dazedly about her. "What happened?"

Before I had a chance to answer, a small voice called out, "Uh, Link. We've got a problem!"

I turned to see what Navi was talking about, and when I did I saw that the red Lizalfo had risen to his feet.

He leaned heavily on his staff and, breathing hard, growled, "You are carelesssss, hero, to not finish ssso powerful an enemy when he issss helplesssss. Do not worry; you will not sssurvive to make that missstake again."

With his dying breath, he struck the ground with his staff, collapsing forward as he did so.

A shudder ran through the room, and the red symbols all over the walls began glowing intensely. Suddenly, there was a noticeable rise in temperature. The scarlet symbols burned fiercely, their light spreading over the walls; I watched, open-mouthed in horror, as the far side of the room slowly began to _melt_.

First, the wall and door on the far side of the room turned a bright, orange-ish color. They melded with each other, and slipped downward sluggishly as the walls and floor nearest them heated up as well and began to follow their oozing descent.

Navi bopped my ear, "Don't just stand there! We have to find a way out this place!"

I suddenly grasped the imminent danger of our situation and tore my eyes away from the melting rock. If we didn't find a way out, and fast, we would become a permanent part of this soon-to-be volcano.

"Can you stand?" I hurriedly asked Zelda.

"Yes, I'll be fine." She was still white as a sheet, but she got to her feet easily enough.

We all began searching for a way out.

There had to be one. How else could the Lizalfos have gotten her in here in the first place? Zelda, Navi, and I commenced to search the large, gold Lizalfo statue; it being the only thing remotely possible of concealing a way out. The temperature continued to rise.

Wiping sweat from my brow, I glanced over my shoulder to try and estimate how much time we had.

The room was shimmering with heat; the stalactites dripped like icicles in summer into the pool of molten rock that was the floor. We had, at best, a few minutes.

"There's nothing here!" Navi shouted from the upper part of the statue.

"I can't find anything either…" Zelda leaned against the wall behind the gold image. She looked a little shaky.

"There's got to be something!" I pounded my fist against the still-solid rock wall. There had to be a way out. There just had to be!

"Link, what about the table?"

I jerked my head up to look at Zelda, who was breathing hard, sweat pouring off her face, "What?" I uttered the word as her sentence registered in my brain.

That stone table.

It was a solid block; possibly able to conceal…

That was all the thinking I had time for. I threw myself at the oblong block of stone, trying to force it to move. It didn't budge.

"Try from a different side!" Navi directed.

Sometimes blocks did have to be pushed in a certain way. I hurriedly moved to strive against one of the ends of the table.

This time, I felt a slight movement.

I shoved and strained, gaining an inch or two in return. The stone grated on the floor, slowly revealing an opening of some kind.

I continued to push with all my strength against the stone blocking our escape. Suddenly I noticed that Zelda was beside me, pushing the block for all she was worth.

Weak as she was from her ordeal, she still wasn't willing to let me do all the work.

The heat was nearly unbearable. The air burned in my lungs each time I inhaled. My hair was plastered on my forehead with sweat. It was like being inside Death Mountain without a Goron Tunic.

There was a foot-and-a-half wide gap between the floor and the bottom edge of the stone table. It was enough.

Zelda and I exchanged a quick glance.

We didn't care where it went; anywhere would be better than here.

Navi zipped into my hat just as Zelda and I jumped.

The floor of the escape tunnel was slick and smooth, like the floor had been, and slanted steeply downward. We slid rapidly down in the darkness, gathering speed as we went; unable to see anything in front of us.

I yelled and she screamed the whole way. At least, I hoped it was me yelling. I honestly couldn't be sure. I was terrified beyond measure; and me with the Triforce of Courage… how embarrassing…

But I wasn't thinking of any of this at the time; I was too busy trying to stop the much-too-quick descent of my, and Zelda's, person.

Nothing worked. The walls and floor curved into each other to form a kind of super-slippery tube. It was obviously meant for sliding; the only thing I could do was stay in front of Zelda and hope the landing wasn't too rough.

Moments later, a light appeared in front of us, and we were ejected from the tunnel and sent tumbling into a large pile of wet, dead leaves. It was drizzling steadily, which felt _wonderful_ after the volcano we had just left.

After a moment of confusion, I regained my common sense, spit the leaves out of my mouth, and began to untangle myself from the large, prickly bush that had decided to befriend me.

Somewhere behind me, Zelda was laughing hysterically.

"Zel, please. Being hugged by a thorn bush is not a funny thing." I pointed out, half playing, half serious, while extracting a rather large thorn from my forearm.

"It's not that," she replied when she caught her breath, "It's just – we were so scared! Goddesses, I would give anything to have seen your face!" She quickly regained her composure, "Oh, Link! Let me help."

"Thanks…" I held still while she freed the back of my tunic. "Ouch, OUCH! Careful, Zel!" It felt like she was driving the thorns into my side! I gritted my teeth and tried to be patient.

"I'm sorry; I've almost got it."

A moment later, I was free.

I turned just in time to be suddenly embraced by the princess.

"Link… Thank you…" she murmured, her head on my shoulder. A thrill ran up my spine, "…you know, for saving me and all." She pulled away, her clear, blue eyes meeting mine for a moment.

A horse neighed somewhere to our right. It sounded kind of like Epona…

Motioning to Zelda to wait here, I went to investigate.

Sure enough, it _was _Epona; still waiting on the path for me to return! The sliding tunnel had dropped us a few hundred feet from the entrance of the dungeon.

Upon seeing me, my loyal steed trotted forward to nuzzle my shoulder. I fondled her ears as she looked me over up and down.

"Hey, girl, I'm glad to see you too!" I laughed as she pulled off my hat. Navi zipped out to circle the playful horse, "Navi! I thought we'd lost you in the escape; why've you been hiding?"

She seemed to tense momentarily, "Ohh… no reason! I just get, um, comfortable in there and forget to come out sometimes."

"Ah." I was not completely convinced, but my thoughts were distracted from the subject as I remembered that Zelda was waiting for me. I called to her that all was clear.

We mounted Epona and took off, headed for Hyrule Castle.


	7. Chapter 6

Author's note: It's back to Zelda's point of view this chapter.

Thankyouthankyou_thankyou_ for the reviews! I love you guys!

Now on with the story-

* * *

We had been traveling all day without rest, alternately galloping and walking the horses, pressing them as hard as possible without killing them. 

The Lizalfo captain, riding a black stallion and carrying the stout lead-rope of the old grey speckled mare I was riding, had obviously been given orders to arrive at wherever we were going as soon as possible, for he ignored any complaints from his two subordinates, who were bringing up the rear on a pair of dull-brown geldings.

I, of course, couldn't complain at all; which was kind of ironic, seeing as I was the one with the most to complain about. Being silenced was very frustrating. I had tried all afternoon, and the only sound I had succeeded in making was a throaty kind of gasp that suggested I was dying of pneumonia.

My situation was not a good one. I was hot, thirsty, my hands had lost circulation a few hours ago due to the ropes binding my wrists; not to mention the fact that my sister had stolen the Triforce of Wisdom from me and was going to attempt to break the heart of the one person I loved _more than_ _anything in the world_.

The Lizalfo captain had brought Kayla's heavy, hooded cloak and ordered that I wear it to disguise me from any travelers we happened to pass on the road. Of course, I didn't have a choice in the matter, and had been sweating under the hot material ever since we had set out. I also wasn't offered any choice about being tied to the saddle horn. They had just secured a couple of extra ropes about my already-bound wrists to keep me in place.

We hadn't passed any travelers all day; we were moving north and east, skirting Death Mountain and the smaller peaks around it.

I knew not where we were bound for, only that I had to find a way to escape before we arrived. The mare I was riding was old, and had a very slight limp in her left foreleg from some old injury; they had probably picked the horse just for me, so I didn't have a chance to outrun their healthy, finely-groomed animals. The first thing I would have to do was get off of it. I already had a plan for how to do it. Well, not a complete plan; more like an idea. A really, really dumb one; but it was my only chance.

You see, when the Lizalfos came to tie my wrists to the saddle horn, I happened to recall a trick I had learned from another Sheikah in the days of Ganondorf's reign. It would have been _much_ more useful had I remembered it before my wrist had been tied at all, but there was nothing to be done about that. Anyway, the trick is, as you're being bound, tense the muscles in your wrists as much as possible. Then, after the knots have been tied and all that, relax the tension and, if done correctly, there should be a little bit of slack in the rope.

Since I had already been tied once, it didn't work very well. But it did give me a little room to work with.

I rode with my head bowed, (the Lizalfos took this for a sign of submission. Hah!), the cloak's hood hiding my face as I carefully worked to escape the cord keeping me in the saddle. My wrists were raw from the friction of the rope; but still I struggled. I almost had it…

Suddenly, my hood was pulled back by one of the Lizalfo soldiers. I jerked my head up to look at him, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be able to tell I was almost free. Free of the saddle, anyway.

"The eyesss are the sssame. You were right, Zackrosss." The one who had pulled my hood back hissed.

"I told you ssso, and you did not believe me." The other Lizalfo, Zackros, who had pulled his horse up to walk next to mine on my left, said.

"She isss to sssimilar to the Missstresss for my liking," The Lizalfo on my right flicked his tongue out menacingly, "We should do sssomething to… help usss tell them apart."

I did _not_ like the sound of that. Swallowing hard, I calmly considered my options.

"I agree, Rassskesss," my considering was cut short by the sound of a weapon being drawn. A second weapon was drawn by the other Lizalfo. The two shortswords glinted dully in the cloudy light; the looks on the Lizalfos' faces were dangerously malicious.

One of them made a move to come at me with the knife, and I, not being able to call for help or anything else, did the only thing I could; I ducked down, hiding my face against my horse's neck, and prayed to the goddesses for help.

Remarkably, my prayer was answered, for with astounding speed, the Lizalfo captain whirled in his saddle and hissed at his subordinates, "Do not harm her! If you caussse her any injury, you will anssswer to the Missstresss!"

"We were not going to harm her, sssir." The Lizalfo on my left hissed, "Only shorten the gold that flowsss from her shouldersss."

"Very well," the Lizalfo captain agreed, "But if a sssingle drop of blood essscapesss her veinsss, I will ssslowly roassst the two of you on a sssingle ssspit."

The two Lizalfos on either side of me seemed to accept this risk. One of them gripped my shoulders firmly with his claws while the other leaned in with his knife, "Do not move" he ordered, bringing the blade close to my head. And I must say I had no intention to. I held perfectly still while the two Lizalfos took turns cropping off my long, gold-colored hair. I was mildly tempted to move, just to see if the Lizalfo captain would carry out his threat, but decided not to risk feeling the razor-sharp Lizalfo blade bite into my neck, or shoulder.

It was the closest shave, (no pun intended), I had ever had. I couldn't see it, but by the feel of it once the two Lizalfos were satisfied, my hair was pretty jaggedly cut. I wouldn't have expected any better, and quite frankly, I was just glad to be alive.

Getting your hair cut with a sword while riding on the back of a limping horse is _not_ a fun thing.

-----------

Currently, the clouds began to darken, and a swift wind blew through the trees on either side of the path. It would rain soon.

The Lizalfo captain shouted an order to his subordinates and started the horses galloping.

The cloak whipped around me, covering my hands for a moment. I took that moment to jerk free of the ropes securing me to the saddle horn. It hurt like anything, but I was free of my horse. My wrists were still tied, so jumping was going to be dangerous. Yes, that was my plan. I would wait for the perfect moment, and leap off my horse to take cover in the brush. It looked thick enough to conceal me, and my legs were unbound; I planned to take _full _advantage of that.

The first few drops of chill, spring rain started to patter onto the trail.

"Thisss rain isss good; it will cover our tracksss." One of the Lizalfo soldiers commented over the wind. Hopefully it would cover mine as well.

"I do not like the rain. It makesss me cold." The other hissed in disgust, "When will we be at the fortressss?"

"I'm not certain. You should asssk the captain." The soldier on the left replied.

"You asssk him; I do not want to bother him with sssuch a quessstion."

The two of them argued for several minutes, the wind and increasingly loud rainfall keeping their words out of earshot of the captain, before deciding to both ask.

They kicked their dripping horses to catch up to the Lizalfo captain.

As soon as they passed my horse, I swung my left leg over to the right side of the saddle.

It was now or never.

I took a deep breath, aimed for a soft-looking bush to the side of the path, and jumped.

Water showered from the leaves as I crashed through the bush, landing in an awkward, and painful, roll.

Oh, curse this forest! Why did the softer-looking bushes always turn out to be thorn bushes? Thankfully, I couldn't have cried out in pain if I had wanted to, and thus bought perhaps a few more seconds before the Lizalfo guards realized I was gone.

Ignoring the painful scratches the thorn bush had inflicted upon me, I dashed as stealthily as I could manage through the thick underbrush.

Seconds later, I heard an inhuman roaring coming from the direction of the path. They must have noticed my absence.

All my instincts screamed at me to run, but I kept on at a steady, and quiet, pace. Crashing through the brush like a witless dodongo wouldn't do me an ounce of good.

Kayla's cloak occasionally caught on a branch, or weed, or any other faintly 'catchable' object I passed. I jerked it free, wishing I could leave it behind. It would be a telltale sign of my direction, however, so I kept it.

Rain dripped through the treetops freely. Why didn't these trees have more leaves? Oh, right, it's only the beginning of spring. I shook the water from my hair and face. At least it would erase my tracks. It was cold, too. I allowed myself a half smile, thinking of the Lizalfo's comment about not liking the cold. I bet he was having a _great_ time scouring the woods for me.

Uh-oh. I paused to listen. The sound of something moving heavily through the brush reached my ears over the wind. They can't have picked up my trail that quickly. I listened hard.

A shout from the Lizalfo captain confirmed my fear. I hurried onward,

How were they following me? I had been careful not to break any branches, (aside from the bush I landed in), and stood only where I wouldn't leave any tracks. How could they- erk. Ah, useless cloak! I turned to free it from the prickly branch of a pine tree. It was then I noticed that the ends were quite frayed and… oh, no. As I touched the edge of the cloth, several threads slipped loose. _This_ was how they were following me! I probably left a nice, clear marker for them every time this worthless cloak caught on something. I should have left it behind when I first thought of it!

Oh, well. No time to berate my incompetence now. I had to think of something. Fast.

I looked upward, possibly for divine intervention, or maybe just because my neck was getting sore from having this cloak constantly pulling at it. In any case, I was suddenly stricken with an idea. I would have to be quick, though.

Quickly, I tore the cloak loose from the pine's grasp, not bothering to remove any threads I left behind.

Diving through the nearest hedge-like line of bushes, which, again, happened to be thorn bushes, I rid myself of the cloak and ran forward another fifty feet or so.

Turning on my heel, I doubled back to the pine tree.

To this day I'm not certain of how I did it, but, with both wrists still tied securely in front of me, I somehow managed to climb into the high, windblown branches of the twenty-six foot tall tree within the time span of thirty seconds.

It was a good thing I did, for not ten seconds after I had gained the relative safety of the pine-needle-laden branches, the three Lizalfos and their captain entered the scene.

They muttered quietly to one another, (probably debating which way I had gone), and hurried off in the direction I had taken a few minutes before.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief and shifted into a more comfortable spot. I would probably be up here for a while. After all, the Lizalfos could always double back, and that would mean trouble. Especially if they looked up.

It was still raining.

I was so tired. And wet. And cold. Kayla's black, long-sleeved tunic wasn't as warm as it looked; especially when it was completely and utterly soaked with rainwater.

I shivered.

Now that I had a quiet moment, the day's events all started taking their toll on me at once. From being drugged, to finding out my sister was alive and out for revenge on the on I love, to leaping from the back of a galloping horse; I was exhausted.

Shivering once more, I leaned forward drowsily against a branch directly in front of me; settling myself into a mostly-safe position as I slowly… drifted… into….. sleep.


	8. Chapter 7

Author's note:

Over 1000 hits! Yeah! Extreme awesome-ness! This is my first story to break the 1000-hit marker! That ROCKS!

And thank you, reviewers! Your kind words give me the unbounded confidence with which I continue this story! Please, though, if something needs fixing, LET ME KNOW. I'll be glad to do anything that will improve my writing, and thus, this story.

Speaking of the story...

(Still Zelda's point of view)

* * *

_My head was spinning. Darkness laid over the land like a heavy blanket; blocking out any light. Shadows skittered about; dodging in and out of each other and laughing like living things._

_Suddenly, I was inside Hyrule castle._

_A great mirror hung on the wall in front of me. I didn't want to look in it, but an invisible force caused me to move closer to the mirror. _

_I saw my reflection. My own face smiled wolfishly in the mirror, and laughed of its own accord. Then my reflection stepped forward, out of the mirror, into reality. _

_I wanted to run, but my legs would not obey. I wanted to cry out, but my voice was gone. All I could do was watch. _

_Still laughing, my reflection turned to the side. A wall, which seemed solid one second, vanished into thin air, revealing another chamber. _

_Link was there, chained to a great, red stone covered with strange symbols. He was pale and unconscious. _

_A line of moblins stood against the back wall, pounding their pike's wooden shafts against the floor and chanting something ominous, but unintelligible._

_Grinning maliciously, the mirror image of myself stood over Link, her hand, charged with magic, raised high above her head, ready to strike._

_The moblins' chanting increased in volume._

_Link stirred, waking slowly. His blue eyes met mine._

_The hand dropped._

I started violently awake.

The rain had ceased, and the first light of morning was beginning to shine through the quickly dissipating clouds.

The air was still and cool and silent.

I took a few deep, calming breaths to try and slow the rapid beating of my heart.

Once able to think relatively clearly, I took stock of my situation.

Remarkably, I hadn't fallen out of the tall pine tree during the night. That was a good thing. Also, the Lizalfo soldiers were no where to be seen; which was also a good thing. Had I had any more time to think about things before I fell asleep, I would have worried about waking to find the tree surrounded by the shortsword-bearing lizards. Not being able to see them didn't necessarily mean I was in the clear yet, however; I had no idea how loyal these Lizalfos were to my sister's orders, or how persistent they would be in a search. Still, if they hadn't found me by now, I figured I had at least a moderately-high chance of climbing out of this tree and getting away.

This brought up a very pressing problem; how to get out of this tree.

I was a good distance above the ground, so jumping was out of the question. Especially in my damp, bone-weary state. My wrists burned under the ropes that bound them every time I moved, and my head, just starting to be clear of that fuzzy, sleepy cloudiness, was beginning to ache with a dull, painful awake-ness.

How had I even gotten _up_ this tree? I wondered as I looked down at the small pinecones dotting the ground beneath. I truthfully had no idea, though it probably explains the sap and tree bark all over me. It was even in my _hair_; do you know how _hard_ it is to get pine sap out of your hair?

Anyway, I'm straying from the subject. This tree actually wasn't all that tall, (compared to some); there must be a way to get down without mortally injuring myself…

I sat and pondered this problem for a good while… fifteen, maybe twenty minutes… Every so often I tried to untie the knot binding my wrist with my teeth. It was like biting a rock; the knot was stout and solid.

Finally, I decided the only thing to do was to attempt to climb down the tree like a normal, person-not-being-chased-by-Lizalfos would. Only with my wrists tied. Yeah.

Well, there's no sense in dawdling just because it's a bad idea. I held onto a good-sized branch with both hands, gritting my teeth at the feel of the ropes biting once more into my poor, defenseless wrists, and carefully felt my way down to a lower bough.

Once I found a place to stand, (a small, dangerously thin branch), I very, very slowly let go of the limb I was holding on to. Hm. Now I was in an interesting predicament. I was standing against the tree trunk with both hands raised above my head. I couldn't grab onto the tree trunk without pushing myself backwards. The best I could do was bring my arms halfway down by bending my elbows. I couldn't move my arms to either side without throwing myself off balance and risking falling from the one, not-too-sturdy branch I was now standing on.

Glancing about for some kind of inspiration of what to do next, I noticed a slender bough to my right, about equal with my elbows. It looked like it might be able to hold my weight. If I could just get a hold of it… well, I didn't know what I would do, but it would probably be better than standing halfway up this tree for the rest of my life.

I crouched a little in order to get my hands on level with the branch I was aiming for, and, in doing so, I backed a little further onto the limb I was now standing on.

_Crack._

Oh, goddesses, no. I straightened quickly, stepping close to the tree to alleviate the stress on the branch I was standing on, but it was much too late for that.

It snapped, breaking halfway off a few inches from the trunk, and fell; leaving me nothing to stand on. I made a frantic grab at the branch above my head, (I had held onto it before, so I knew it was sturdy enough to hold me), before I fell. Of course, with my wretched luck, I didn't fall straight to the ground. No, I fell straight downward until the ropes binding my wrists caught on the two or three inches of branch that hadn't broken from the tree; like a coat hanging on a hook.

Searing pain shot through my arms and shoulders as my descent jerked to a halt. I gasped, (gasping being the full extent of my vocal ability to express pain at the moment), and quickly kicked strongly against the tree to unhook the rope from the branch before.

Seconds later, I landed flat on my back. The air rushed out of me, and I just lay there for a moment or two before managing to force my lungs to draw in air.

I groaned inwardly. Goddesses, why did all this have to happen to me at the same time?

I could deal with being silenced. I could manage having my wrists tied together so tightly that I would probably never regain their usage. And if Link was in danger of being killed and didn't know it; yes, I could most likely handle that. I might even be able to live with the knowledge of having an evil, sorcerer, twin sister who had a slew of Lizalfos and moblins at her disposal. But, in Farore's name, to have all of these things happening _at the same time_...

Ugh, the ground is wet. I need to get up before my already damp tunic becomes slightly… more…damp… There was almost _no logic_ in that thought, but it was a good excuse to get up and move around; something my recently ill-treated muscles were loathe to do.

I struggled to my feet and began the daunting task of trying to figure out which direction I needed to go to get back to Hyrule Castle.

As I looked about, trying to determine which way was north, I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye.

I whirled to face whatever-it-was, but there was nothing there. Except trees and bushes.

That was probably it, I thought to myself as I turned back to re-examine the moss growing on the side of a small oak, the wind probably caused the bushes to move a bit, and I thought it was- my thoughts stopped, mid-sentence.

Not twenty feet in front of me, in the partial shade of budding dogwood, stood a man. He was tall and lithe, and wore a long-sleeved garment, dark blue in color, underneath a white tunic. His face was obscured by a light cloth bound over his nose and mouth and covering most of his hair.

My breath caught in my throat for a moment, for emblazoned in red on the center of his tunic was the symbol of truth.

The sign of the Sheikah.

If anyone could help, the Sheikah could. I had spent some time in one of their discreetly hidden villages during the years I masqueraded as Sheik. They knew a great deal about magic and such; perhaps they could find a way to un-silence me!

A wave of relief washed over me at this thought. I started towards the Sheikah.

"I would not advise that," he spoke in slightly accented Hylian; his eyes glared at me menacingly through the gap in his mask, raising his hand back behind his head. In his grip were several deadly-looking shurikens.

I froze in my tracks.

"Good." He said, not lowering the shurikens an inch, "Now, you will tell me who you are and why you are trespassing in this forest."

The morning sunlight glinted dangerously off the keen edges of the throwing stars in the Sheikah's hand.

I remained frozen. Trespassing was an _extremely_ serious offense to the Sheikah. They valued their secrecy more than all the precious gems in the world. Seldom did anyone with wrong intentions live to tell of the camps of the Sheikah.

The man eyed me curiously, shurikens still held at the ready, "Well?"

How could I answer him? Had I been able to speak, I would have been in no danger and could have explained what happened. But as of now, I couldn't do anything. Any movement I made could be interpreted as an attack; unless I moved backwards or to the side. But then he would probably think I'm trying to run from him; which, technically, I might be able to do if I were in peak physical condition, but not after all that happened yesterday. I had been swept along from one horrible situation to the next. And the most trying thing was that I had virtually no control over what was happening. I remained motionless.

"Answer, for my patience wears thin." The Sheikah threatened.

I felt completely helpless. There was truly nothing I could do to answer his question, and no way to escape. I wish Impa were here; or my father. Or Link, even though he probably wouldn't be able to do anything to convince the Sheikah that we mean no harm. Just having him near would set my heart at ease; for then he wouldn't have to deal with my sister alone.

As it was, Link probably had no idea that anything was out of the ordinary. I had to warn him somehow. Tears of frustration threatened to overflow; how could I save Link when I couldn't even save myself?

At last, an idea came. My only chance was to surrender myself completely, and pray that the Sheikah was merciful enough not to strike me down.

I took a long, shuddering breath, bowed my head, and sank slowly to my knees.


	9. Chapter 8

Author's note: Ah... I'm back from the holidays! Did everyone have a good Christmas? I did!

Yeah, this chapter's a lot shorter than you all would like, I'm sure, but another chapter is coming hot on the heels of this one!

Read on, fair reader, and, please, don't forget to review...

This chapter is in **Zelda's Point of View**

* * *

I kneeled on the ground there for quite some time; imagining what getting hit in the chest with a couple of shurikens would feel like. 

There would probably be a bit of impact, but not enough to knock one down. Then, maybe, you would see it- or would it cut completely into you? I shuddered at the thought.

Maybe you wouldn't feel it at all; you would just see it for a moment or two before you died from loss of blood.

Of course, the most desirable way to go would be to get hit and just instantly… you know… die. Or faint. Or something. Anything so you wouldn't have to see the metal throwing stars imbedded in your skin. I shuddered again.

As my luck would have it, I was kneeling on a small, sharp rock. I diverted my thoughts away from my possible demise by concentrating on this slight discomfort.

I heard his steps approaching.

"Stand, young one," I slowly rose to my feet. The Sheikah was standing directly in front of me, looking me up and down. After a moment's pause, as if considering something, he asked "Why do you not answer me?"

I looked at him incredulously; if I didn't answer before, did he really expect me to answer now? Perhaps he meant it as a rhetorical question. Or he could be talking to himself. I knew a few Sheikah who acquired that habit after too much time alone.

He continued to hold my gaze. Sigh… he expected an answer. Great. I opened my mouth, put my hand, (well, hands, since they were tied together), to my throat, and shook my head, hoping it would get the message across.

The Sheikah stroked his chin contemplatively, "You are unable to speak?" Yes! He _did_ have a brain! ... I apologize. That was a rather rude thought… I guess all this excitement is getting to me. Back to answering his conveniently yes-or-no question - I nodded. "Ah. Now I see." He said, "You are the prisoner the Mistress's minions were searching for, aren't you?"

My eyes widened slightly; I had almost forgotten about the Lizalfo. I moved to leave; he knew I meant no harm now, and I had better get out of here before-

"Do not worry, young one," the Sheikah put a hand on my shoulder to stop me, "they will trouble you no further. Now, allow me to free you from your bonds."

I relaxed and gave him an extremely grateful look, holding out my bound wrists for inspection.

With one quick sweep of his razor-sharp shuriken, the ropes were severed.

I gingerly rubbed my hands until circulation began to return. Ah, it was good to be free again!

"I would invite you to rest in my home, had I one to invite you to." He shook his head slowly, "but as it is now, all I can do is offer you a little food and water to help you on your way." It was then I realized that I hadn't eaten since dinner two days ago. I was practically _starving_.

The Sheikah produced a small pack of food and a water skin; he shared out a bit of the food, (mostly dried meat), and some water. Then he explained how to find the nearest river, (Zora's River, I supposed, but I couldn't think of a way to ask if I was right.), and was about to leave, when I caught his sleeve.

He turned to face me, "Yes? No more thanks are necessary."

I shook my head. How could I express worry without speech? He had mentioned that he no longer had a home; was that Kayla's doing? Did Impa know of this? If it were so, she would be _most_ interested to find out. I knitted my brow and did my best to convey a 'I'm-concerned-for-your-people' look.

He gazed at me in a confused manner for a moment or two, then understanding spread across his face… "I suppose I never did offer you my name."… or not. "You may know me as Isaan." With a deft motion, he slipped out of my reach and raised his hand into the air, "Until we meet again, Saire." There was a flash of light, and he was gone.

Ugh… he thought I wanted to know the _name_ of my rescuer, not how he was _surviving_ without a home in the rugged mountains of North Hyrule… And he had rid me of the Lizalfo… or so I gathered.

Well, there was no use searching for him. He could be anywhere by now. The magic a Sheikah uses to teleport is very unpredictable; I knew from experience.

Perhaps I could return after saving Link to repay the unwarranted kindness he had shown me... someday. Isaan… I could find him with that name. Maybe Impa would recognize it?

A chill wind blew through the trees; I needed to get moving before long if I were to make any progress at all today. But first, I had to eat something lest I collapse from hunger along the way.

I sat with my back against the tree I spent the night in to make a quick meal of the food Isaan had given me. It was very dry, but good. I guiltily hoped he would get along alright with a slightly diminished food supply.

Just as I swallowed the last bit, a thought occurred to me.

Just before he disappeared, he called me Saire, which, in Sheikah, means 'son of the silence'. 'Daughter of the silence' would have been 'Zaihare'. Why did he-?

I groaned inwardly, realizing the answer; he had taken me for a boy!

Ugh… It's so… so… _irksome_ when this happens! My short hair and flat-chested-ness would probably earn the same assumption from others on my way back to Hyrule Castle… sigh… well, I guess that's not a completely bad thing. Traveling as a boy might offer a little more protection than traveling as a girl.

I dusted my hands off on my still slightly-damp breeches, and rose to go. If I could find Zora's River, I would be able to follow it straight to the castle.

What I would do once I got there, I had _no idea_.

I murmured a quick (and silent) prayer before starting on my way.


	10. Chapter 9

Author's note:

Thank you, everyone who reviewed. It's really nice to know people like this story!

And, everyone who didn't review, I hope you feel inclined to review this time!

Either way, enjoy the story!

Oh, and my 'hot on its heels' usually translates to mean 'a few days'. It took me longer to proofread than I thought.

Once more, this chapter is in **Zelda's Point of View**

* * *

It was a rather nice day; there wasn't a cloud in the sky, as well as I could tell. 

I had made almost-steady progress through the forest in the morning hours; traveling east and slightly downhill. However, despite my constant movement, I _still_ hadn't come across Zora's River.

It's a big river; I should be able to find it eventually if I just keep walking…

The scrubby, tangled forest I had worked my way through before had become steadily larger; as I slowly made my way south and east, the trees became older and larger.

Unfortunately, the larger and taller the trees were, the more room there was for small, tangly bushes and vines and thorns on the forest floor. Crawling along the ground, clinging to the bark of trees, stringing themselves between boulders and tree trunks to form strange, vegetative webs; you name it, these weeds did it.

The soggy leaves on the ground didn't make any sound as I trod on them. Occasionally a small shower of water droplets shaken loose by a bird or squirrel would rain down upon me; thus preventing my clothes from ever becoming completely dry.

While making my way through a particularly dark and tangled part of the forest, it occurred to me that I didn't have any kind of weapon to protect myself with. It wasn't like I actually _needed_ one, (being a skilled Sheikah fighter), but having something more in case of trouble might be a good idea.

I found myself missing the small pouch of deku nuts I carried with me when I was Sheik. There weren't any deku nuts in this forest, but I could carry some… er… rocks… or something… to serve as a long-range weapon. Yeah. That would work.

I continued walking, searching the ground for suitable throwing-stones as I did.

A cliff rose to my right; I was definitely on a lower part of the mountain. Just barely visible through the brush, I saw the entrance of a small cave.

That might be worth looking into; I could probably find a few acceptable stones in there.

I forced my way through the scratchy bushes and trailing vines to the mouth of the cave.

I paused for a moment at the entrance to listen for sounds of sleeping animals or monsters. Hearing nothing but the slow trickling of water, I took a few steps into the cavern and paused again. Most often it paid to be cautious; especially when one was weaponless and unable to call for help.

Still nothing.

Deciding that it must be fairly safe, (at least safe enough to look for rocks), I strode forward a few more yards to a pile of debris likely to yield an abundance of projectiles for my protection.

Upon reaching the debris, I noticed an unusual light in the back of the cave. It looked sort of… pink? Hm… pink light… I quickly ruled out the possibility of it being light from a torch or fire; fires are _not_ pink. Not any I had seen, anyway.

So then, what could it be?

My curiosity got the better of me.

I carefully picked my way through the rocks and boulders obstructing my path to see what the light was.

Rounding a particularly large boulder, I found myself in a large room. Not cave. _Room_.

Not at all like Kayla's palace; this room, was brightly lit and comfortably warm. A small waterfall flowed from a beautifully carved, stone flower at the back of the room into a large, round pool of crystal clear water. The stone walls themselves seemed to be giving off the pinkish light I had seen from the cave entrance. On the floor in front of the pool of water, the symbol of the Triforce was engraved into the rock.

I stepped onto the symbol, wondering who had carved the Triforce there. I was also thinking to myself how familiar this seemed. Hadn't Link told me about something like this at one point? I couldn't quite recall…

Suddenly, a strange, high-pitched, womanly laugh rang through the room. I leapt backward, adopting a sloppy fighting stance in mid-leap and brandishing the _one_ fist-sized chunk of granite I had thought to bring with me.

The laughter quieted as a large, scantily-clad fairy materialized over the pool of water. "I am the Great Fairy!" the fairy announced. _This_ was new. I gaped in amazement as the fairy addressed me, "Ah, Zelda. You have traveled far to reach this cave. I grant you some of my magic power, that you may defeat your sister when the time comes."

My jaw must have been somewhere near the floor by this time; I could've just about _swallowed_ the stone I was holding and probably wouldn't have noticed.

A rush of magic surged through me; I gasped in surprise as I was lifted off the ground for a second or two. The next moment, I dropped to the ground, landing flat on my back for the second time in one day.

"Visit my sister's cousin's mother's daughter's sister who lives near Jabu-Jabu to gain the rest of the power you require," The fairy said, smiling cheerfully at me, still lying sprawled out on the floor, "Farewell! And don't leave your mouth hanging open like that; it makes you look like a stupefied fish." And with another bout of disturbing laughter, she was gone.

Slowly I stood up, and carefully I backed out of the room. That was most assuredly one of the strangest things that had ever happened to me in my life.

My nerves calmed a little as I put more distance between myself and the strange fairy's room.

Well, I reflected, dusting myself off as I left the cave, that little incident didn't really help my current situation _at all_. The fairy said she had given me magic power to help defeat my sister, but how was I supposed to use magic when I was silenced! (yes, I was still silenced. The fairy didn't fix it, or anything.)

And weren't fairies supposed to heal you? Apparently this fairy had forgotten that little detail, for my wrists were still raw from my earlier struggles with the rope that bound them, and I was still covered with scratches from my tangling with thornbushes. Hmph. Oh, _well_. I needed to keep going any-

"Hoo!"

…Hoo? That's odd, I looked around cautiously as I stepped out of the cave, owls aren't usually out in the day… unless their rabid. Wait, can owls get rabies? Maybe that was just a wolfos thing… I looked up. Great Din!

There, in the fork of a dead maple, perched the _largest _owl I had ever seen in _all of Hyrule_.

"Hoohoo! I see you are startled by my presence, Princess!" the giant owl hooted, puffing out his chest in a ridiculous fashion, "Do not fear, cower, or be in any way afraid, for I am Kaepora Geabora, here to lend you help and assistance about where to go, travel, and make your way to next!"

I stared at the enormous bird doubtfully; first a weird fairy, and now a giant, talking owl? This was sounding more and more like one of Link's adventures; why was the same thing happening to me?

"You must go south- not west, east, or north- south to Zora's River! You had better get a move on if you want to stop, prevent, impede, and put an end to the Mistress, your sister, and immediate relation! Hoohoo!" he rotated his large head several times; it made my neck hurt to watch, "I'll be on my way now! Toodle-oo!"

I watched, at a complete loss for words… er… thoughts, as the mammoth owl flapped away.

So… that was two strange happenings including two strange… um… creatures, neither one of which gave me any immediate assistance whatsoever.

Is this really what Link has to go through? Every time he has to rescue me!

… I'm starting to appreciate him a whole lot more, on an _entirely_ new level…

Which means I had better hurry up and stop Kayla while I still had time to tell him _how much_ I appreciate him!

I found myself rethinking my 'no immediate assistance whatsoever' statement. That giant owl had actually given me a good bit of information; Zora's river is to the south.

Getting my bearings from the position of the sun, I began my trek once more; praying fervently that I wouldn't run into any more freakishly large birds.


	11. Chapter 10

Author's note:

Well, here's the last of my 'Christmas break' writing!

I'm afraid the rate at which I update may slow a little for a while... (maybe not, but with school starting again, I might not be in the mood.)

This story already has more than 2000 hits. I'm quite impressed!

Anyways, on with the story-

This chapter starts in **Kayla's Point of View**. I trust you all remember who she is...

* * *

The afternoon was passing slowly. I amused myself by strolling through the palace gardens. 

How dull this castle was… they had no records of dark magic in their library (though they did have an impressive account of the Sacred Realm), the food was second rate, the tapestries that adorn the walls were mere rugs, the treasury was positively pitiful; the swords of past kings were nothing but toys. Truly, the only thing worth seeing was the garden.

I mentally recalled each plant's magical and medicinal properties as I saw it.

Things were going well. My dim-witted rescuer had brought me back to Hyrule castle, and none of the fools noticed any difference between me and Zelda. They don't even suspect! This was going to be much easier than I thought…

Still, I would have to wait a few days before breaking the news to the 'hero' that I loath him. Just in case he should decide to connect my announcement with Zelda's, I mean, of course, _my_ kidnapping. Thankfully, my father and Impa had insisted he stay at the castle for the next week in case of another kidnapping attempt.

I fingered the bare thorns of a rosebush that had not yet bloomed; considering the many possible ways to hurt a man.

As I said before, the 'hero' has no idea what I have in store for him… the expression on his face will be so painfully exquisite when I shatter his heart. Perhaps I should order him to the dungeon? That would serve well to break his spirit as well as his heart… but no. I shall hold to my earlier plan to follow him out of town, (for he will undoubtedly flee to some, secluded place to collect his wits. All men of his type are quite predictable), to finish him.

Then, perhaps, I will go and visit my sister. It's such a pity I can't do away with her as well as the forest bungler. She was, after all, partly responsible for my love's demise…

Oh well. I suppose that's the price one pays for having a magical connection with a blood relative.

The 'magical connection' I speak of has to do with both of our ability to use magic. Long ago, Ganon taught me how to draw off the power of another. Many a dark sorcerer used this skill to become the best of the best. Ganon himself drew power from every Gerudo in the desert. Apparently they were all related somehow. (Honestly, if it weren't for their extravagant tattoos, you couldn't tell any of the whores apart.)

You see, relatives are the easiest to draw power from; something about blood-ties strengthens the Of course, my sister was the logical choice for a host for me. My, how strong she would be if I didn't draw from her power…

As it is, however, no matter how powerful she is, I will always be the stronger of the two of us.

Unfortunately, I've come to rely rather heavily on her power. This means no trouble for me, unless she were to… oh, how do you say… lose the race of life? It would render uselesss the part of my magic that relies on her.

In shorter terms, if Zelda were to die, my powers would be reduced to near nothing.

However, that was not likely to happen as Zelda should be currently residing in my personal fortress far, far to the north and east.

I wonder if they have arrived? They ought to have reached the fortress sometime last night, but the storm may have slowed them a little.

I think I'll just take a peek and see…

I left the gardens and made my way through the castle halls to Zelda's room. It was disgracefully small for a princess's room… scarcely larger than the cells in the _dungeons_ of my palace... There was nothing for it at the moment, however.

I retrieved the bowl of water I had placed on the windowsill and waved my hand over it, uttering the spell of Sight. The surface of the water took on a reddish sheen.

"Show me Zelda."

The water rippled; the picture in the bowl shifting from my reflection to my sister.

"What is this?" I murmured, knitting my brow. The picture was not of my sister confined in my fortress, but of a young man making his way through the forest somewhere. That was odd; my Sight had never done this before.

But wait… he was wearing the same tunic I had given my sister…

"Closer." I ordered the water. It rippled again and showed me the boy's face from a much closer perspective. Why, this was no boy, but my sister in disguise! How did she escape my servants!

"Show me Repkiliar!" The water cleared to show a picture of three dead Lizalfos; one wearing the medallion belonging to Captain Repkiliar.

I cursed and hurled the water-filled bowl away from myself. How could this have happened!

* * *

Author's note: Switching to **Navi's Point of View**

**-**

Something was wrong. I could feel it. And not just normal, everyday 'putting too-much-pepper-in-the-cookies' kind of wrong either. Something was _WRONG_. Way wrong. And it had to do with a certain princess…

Yeah, so I was just flying down the hall like I normally do, with this weird, kinda ominous feeling that something was going on. Link was helping the royal stablekeeper do… something. I don't know. Something to do with horses. Link already knew how to do it, so I couldn't shout directions at him or anything, so I left.

Anyways, I was flying past the princess's room, when I happened to see her pick up a bowl of water.

I thought that was fairly normal; it was obvious that Zelda washed her face regularly, which is a good habit, and all.

I was about to continue on my merry little way, when a thought occurred to me; I should take this opportunity to keep an eye on her.

Ever since Zelda jerked those thorns across Link's back, I suspected that something bad was going down. An evil spell, or an imposter, or something.

She seemed normal when we got back the castle, though.

I tried to convince myself that she had _accidentally_ gashed my good buddy Link in the back with a thornbush, but… well… couldn't.

Then, yesterday, I caught her glaring daggers at him during dinner. Of course, Link didn't notice. He was too busy stuffing his face to pay attention. But _I _saw.

So, I hovered just outside the door, watching.

"Show me Zelda." I heard Zelda say.

Hm… that was like me saying "Hey, Navi, pass me a sandwich!" to a fork.

Wow. That was a _really_ strange thought.

Um… sooo anyway… Zelda was asking a bowl of water to show her _herself_… Either something was really wrong, or she had completely lost it. Well, you know, I had always suspected that bout with Ganondorf had given the princess a lot of _mental stress_…

"Closer." She seemed to order the bowl.

_Don't mind if I do_… I zipped up to the ceiling above her, where I had a good view of the bowl of water she was holding.

To my utter shock, surprise, astonishment, and complete disgust, the water in the bowl cleared to show a picture of some blond haired guy with _Zelda's face_!

Oh, wait. Maybe it was a girl. The short hair made it hard to tell. But it was definitely the same face.

Right now, I'm feeling confused, (in case you couldn't tell). I mean, sure, Zelda's a complicated and unpredictable person, but how did she suddenly learn to do this water trick?

"Show me Repkiliar!" Zelda ordered the bowl again. And a picture of three dead Lizalfos came up. Eww… Luckily, I didn't have to see it for long, because she cursed violently and threw the bowl away.

Okay, now I was _really_ confused. Was this really Zelda? How could it be? For one thing, Zelda didn't usually hang out with Lizalfos. For another thing, Zelda _did not_ curse like that!

Me, being a fairy who has lived for an indeterminable amount of time, I had only heard that word _once_ when a swarm of bees tried to build a nest in the Great Deku tree's nose that one time. And, goodness, I remember how many times the Great Deku tree had to apologize and berate himself to convince me that it wasn't a word to go around teaching to the Kokiri children. He even had a couple of older fairies wash his mouth out with soap; multiple times.

It was an evil, old word; and there was _no way in the world_ Zelda would have heard it. Or at least no way she would have _used_ it!

Great Din, my ears were still burning…

* * *

Author's note: Switching back to **Kayla's Point of View**

-

As my rage cooled, I determined that my sister was truthfully no threat to me. After all, she was silenced with a spell that could not be broken, and was most-likely lost in the mountains somewhere. Everything would proceed as planned so long as she didn't manage to get herself killed… And I could always send a troop of Lizalfo after… her…

…Hm… that was odd… All of a sudden, I had become aware of a strange presence. It possessed an overwhelming amount of magic, and yet was small. It was not an animal, and most definitely not a ghost…

After subconsciously noting this, I glanced upward to see a small blue light. The 'hero's' fairy partner. It seemed alarmed that it had been noticed, and flew quickly towards the door. I cursed again and dove across the room, slamming the door shut; trapping the small fairy in here with me.

I had to capture it, lest it tell what it had seen. I reached for a jar, located quite handily on top of Zelda's wardrobe, and swiped at the fairy. I missed, and it zipped to the other side of the room.

"Come here, little firefly." I growled through clenched teeth.

"I'm not a firefly!" the blue ball of light dodged another of my attempts to catch it, "I'm a FAIRY!"

I fired a stunning magic blast at the pesky fairy. It darted out of reach, however, and zoomed under a chair and behind a small desk.

"Get out of there you-"

"Tsk. Tsk, _Zelda_. A princess like you should know how to control her temper!" It mocked me. I fired another blast of magic, this time hitting my mark.

However, it didn't affect the fairy, "Hah!" it taunted rocketing past my ear, "You forget! We little fairies are immune to your weak, dark magic! Who are you! What did you do with Zelda?"

"Gah!" I swatted at the annoying bug. It suddenly yanked on a strand of my hair. Shouting every curse I knew, I swung at the fairy with the jar; only to miss again.

"You're _certainly_ not Zelda! Even if you look like her, she would never, _EVER_ use language like _that_! You're going to need a whole lot of soap to wash the taste of _that_ word out! Wait until Link here's about _this_!"

That was it. The little insect had evaded me long enough. _Now_ I was angry. I formed a ball of energy in my hand, and hurled it at the fairy.

This wasn't simple dark magic, weak, as the fairy had called it. No, this was a far more advanced attack. The fairy's light dimmed slightly as the magic struck; paralyzing it for a moment.

I quickly dashed forward and trapped it in the jar, quickly screwing the top on after the capture.

"There." I placed the bottled fairy on a shelf in the wardrobe, "That should take care of you."

I made sure that the little insect's blue light was completely concealed behind the contents of the wardrobe; namely, my sister's many court dresses, ball gowns, and… a harp?... Oh, well. I shrugged dismissively, she always was a bit eccentric…

A series of muffled cries from the back of the shelf reached my ears. I simply laughed, shutting the wardrobe doors and wondering how long fairies could go without air.

I found the key to the wardrobe, locked it, and dropped the key into a sizeable crack in the flagstones. Honestly, you'd think a princess would have better flooring…

Unfortunately, now that the fairy was hidden away, I would have to make my move on the green-clad fool sooner than I had planned.

He will no doubt miss his fairy partner if I wait too long; I will just have to run the risk of him discovering a connection between Zelda's kidnapping and my behavior.

I determined that directly after dinner would be the most favorable time to enact my plan; in the garden where he first professed his love for Zelda the night she had been kidnapped.

I carefully composed myself, brushing the stray strands of my golden hair back into place before going off to tell the 'hero' when to meet me.

He wouldn't refuse an after-dinner stroll in the garden. He had no reason to.

I shivered with excitement, carefully preventing a wicked smile from forming on my lips; I had been looking forward to this for such a long time.


	12. Chapter 11

Author's note: Boy, it's been a while since I've updated, hasn't it? Sorry about that.

I sincerely hope that no one died a slow and painful death because of it!

Ahem... And now, without further ado...

This chapter is in **Zelda's point of view**

* * *

After hours of wandering through the forests and hills of the Northern Mountains, I had finally come across it. 

Zora's River.

I stood on the brink of a thirty foot drop, looking down at the swiftly flowing water below.

I sighed and sat down on the rocky ledge for a moment. This day was really taking it out of me. After traveling through the tangled mountain forest nearly all day, I desperately needed to rest, but found myself reluctant to abandon my urgent mission; even long enough to recover from my recent ordeals.

How did Link know when to rest and when to press on? He always seemed prepared for anything; and never seemed to run out of energy.

No doubt he was able to sleep at will during any idle moment.

More than once I had caught him dozing in unusual places: leaning against a tree, sitting on the broad ledge of a window, sprawled out under a bush in the gardens; oh, yes. I remember that time quite well.

He had been indulging in a game of hide-and-seek with a few of the younger servants and the son of the ambassador of one of our neighboring kingdoms, (a lively boy, not much older than seven, if I remember correctly), when my father had come into the garden with the ambassador to show him the Hylian variety of rose, or some such nonsense. I had seen roses from other kingdoms, (princes seeking to woo me often presented me with bouquets of them); there was no difference I could see, and their scent rarely differed from our varieties, (which smelled beautiful, of course. Like the sweet scent of… of… love? I dare say that must be it, for nothing else comes to mind) Every now and then a small detail would come to my attention, smaller thorns, or a slightly different shade of red on the petals, but nothing remarkable.

I remember one day when Link brought me a _blue _rose. I never believed such a thing existed until I saw it in his hand. How his eyes had sparkled as he told me where he had come across it…

I shook my head, 'I _must_ be tired. My thoughts are drifting like the wind.'

The ground was unusually comfortable. I lay back, resting my head on my arms, and looked at the clear blue sky contemplatively, trying to find the path my original thoughts had been following.

Oh yes, Link had fallen asleep under the bush, and Father and the ambassador were touring the garden.

Imagine their surprise when, strolling peacefully through the flowers, they come across a man, seemingly in some state of unconsciousness, lying sprawled out under a rosebush!

My father had a wonderfully difficult time convincing the ambassador that he was not some kind of vagrant who snuck into the palace gardens to escape debtors or authorities.

Link, as soon as he heard my father's voice, came awake and struggled out of the bush to explain himself.

Of course, he had not the chance, for at that moment, the ambassador's son, (along with a couple of the servants), scampered up shouting, "You found him, Father! You found him!" in such excitement, it set both the ambassador and my father laughing uproariously for the next few minutes as Link begrudgingly admitted that he had been 'found'.

'Link…' I closed my eyes and sighed gently…

The sun was warm on my face; the ground, even though it was rocky, seemed softer than any bed I had ever slept in… I felt myself start to doze… but I was too… tired… to stay awake……..

-

-

-

_Slowly, I gazed about the land._

_Fields._

_In every direction, as far as sight could reach, was gently swaying grass._

_The sun shone serenely overhead; casting an odd, fuzzy glow over everything._

_A strange weariness began to overcome me. My eyelids seemed heavy… my arms like leaden weights attached to my shoulders. _

_Suddenly, she was there. _

_Her laugh hung in the air as she approached._

_She placed a hand on my shoulder, and pressed downward lightly._

_All the strength seemed to go out of me, and I collapsed to my hands and knees._

_Her laughter rang dimly in my ears._

"_You will never be stronger than I." her voice echoed through my consciousness, _

"_Never." _

-

-

-

I came awake slowly this time; shuddering violently despite the warmth of the sun.

I sat up, hugging my knees to my chest; my ears still rung with the sound of my sister's harsh laughter.

How I hated these dreams… Was I to have no rest, even in sleep?

I inhaled slowly through clenched teeth, held the air in my lungs for a moment, then released it in a rush.

I glanced upward, trying to judge how long I'd been asleep by the position of the sun. Hm… It couldn't have been more than half an hour.

There was a rustle in the bushes near the edge of the forest.

'What now…?' I stood up and turned to see what the cause of the noise was.

A man tumbled out of the brush. Isaan!

I rushed forward, helping him up. He groaned when I touched him; his side was covered in blood.

His dark brown eyes flashed up at me, "Saire, get out of here!"

I shook my head, dragging him away from the edge of the forest.

"He went this way!" a raspy, scaly voice called from between the trees. Lizalfos.

Oh…. No… This was not a good thing.

A dozen or so of the reptilian warriors leapt out from cover of the forest's foliage. All of them wore the crest of my sister.

They all exchanged shouts of, "Look!", "Isn't that the one…", "Careful not to harm her!", and various other things I didn't quite catch the meaning of when they saw me.

"It looks like they remember you." Isaan whispered, clutching his side painfully.

Quickly, the Lizalfos fanned out and surrounded us on three sides; our backs to the sharp drop off into the river.

Isaan seemed able to stand. I let go of him, and struck a fighting stance. The Lizalfos were all brandishing shortswords and/or spears; but there was no way in Hyrule I was going to surrender without a fight! Not this time.

"What do you want with us?" Isaan shouted boldly to the Lizalfos.

"Sssilence, you." One of the spear wielding Lizalfos jabbed at Isaan, "We jussst want the princesssss; we have no ussse for the boy, correct, captain?"

A particularly tall Lizalfo in red answered, "Correct. Jussst get the girl."

"Girl?" Isaan gave me a _very_ strange look, both eyebrows raised, "Princess!"

'_Now_ he realizes…' I thought, rolling my eyes slightly.

"As in, Zelda, Princess of Hyrule?" he went on in shock. I nodded, "What are you doing out here!"

"That isss no concern of yourssss, boy." The captain sneered, turning to his subordinates, "Take care of him."

Four of the dozen Lizalfo advanced.

'No'! I leapt in front of him, spreading my arms wide.

The Lizalfos stopped. They didn't make any move to attack.

What was going on here? Why weren't they attacking? I recalled what they had said earlier, 'careful not to harm her'. Were they not allowed to attack me? That didn't make sense. I was fairly sure Kayla had instructed them not to kill me… but not to hurt me? Why? They seemed to have hurt Isaan easily enough.

We were at a stand-off. The Lizalfos weren't sure of what to do; they seemed wary of me. Kayla had probably warned them about my ability to fight, or they thought I was poisoned, or something.

Isaan's breathing was labored, and his wound bled heavily, staining his white tunic a deep crimson. I stayed close to him, hoping the Lizalfos wouldn't risk injuring me by taking another jab at him.

I stared hard at Isaan, trying to ask if he was alright.

He noticed my gaze, and grinned wryly, "Don't worry about me. Here, you may need this." He pressed the hilt of a small, Sheikah dagger into my hand. A weapon! Now I could do some damage!

One of the Lizalfos was shoved back towards the forest by his comrades, who hissed, "Find Ajekla and Bkell."

Moments later, two Lizalfos on horseback came galloping to the scene. Each of them carried a weighted net.

This was going to be a problem.

Weighted nets were _not_ good things.

You see, weighted nets have little… er… weights tied to them to make them really heavy and hard to escape from. Which was NOT a good thing.

The Lizalfos parted ranks to let their mounted comrades through.

"Princess, you must get out of here! Quickly!" Isaan gasped, pulling me back towards the cliff-like drop off. "Jump!"

'_WHAT!_ _Are you insane!_ Jump thirty feet down into ice cold water?' I jerked away from him.

… and made myself a perfect target for the mounted Lizalfos' nets.

I didn't even see it until it was too late. The heavy netting enveloped me, knocking me off balance. I stumbled to the ground.

The second net was thrown over Isaan, knocking him down beside me.

I struggled to free myself. Agh, I couldn't figure out how to get untangled!

The Lizalfos shouted in triumph and rushed forward.

"Sorry about this, my Princess." Isaan murmured.

'Don't be sorry', I tried to tell him with my eyes, 'It's not your… wait. What are you-'

He was pushing me over the cliff! I scrambled to get away from him, but it was too late.

With a final shove from Isaan, I tumbled over the edge.


	13. Chapter 12

Author's note:

Yay! I'm finally updating!

We had a lot of computer troubles this past... however long it's been since I last updated. Well, not too many, actually.

But it sure makes a good excuse not to update, doesn't it?

Gaah! -runs from readers throwing pencils and marshmallows at their computer screens-

I'm sorry, okay?

Thanks for all the reviews! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Anyways... here's the chapter!

It starts in **Zelda's Point of View**

* * *

I screamed soundlessly as I fell towards the icy mountain river. Briefly, I saw several Lizalfos rush to the edge of the cliff, as if they meant to catch me before it was too late. 

Of course, it _was_ too late.

Thankfully, I had enough sense in me to breathe in before hitting the water. My whole body was jarred by the impact, and I was dragged quickly downwards by the weighted net. I gasped, struggling to free myself.

The current forced me downstream as the net pulled me to the bottom of the river and snagged on a waterlogged tree branch.

The water was crystal clear. I could see everything around me as clearly as if I had been on dry land. The smooth, multi-colored, stones on the riverbottom, the dappled patterns of light from the sun above the water; even a small school of minnows scattering at my sudden appearance.

I worked quickly, trying to disentangle myself from the net. I could barely feel my hands; the water was so cold. Finally, I got a hold of the dagger Isaan had given me.

What had Isaan been _thinking_, shoving me into the water like this! Oh, yes, now I was away from the Lizalfos, but being trapped in a weighted net at the bottom of a river isn't much better of an option.

I sawed clumsily at the net's ropes with the dagger. My arms were slow to obey, moving sluggishly as the icy water swept by, the current causing the net to twist and writhe about, as though trying to escape the blade. In the back of my mind, I wondered how long a Hylian could possibly hold their breath.

How long could Link hold his breath? I would have to ask him if I ever saw him again.

The sound around me was dimmed by the dull rush of water.

Finally, the hole I had been creating was big enough for me to slip through.

My lungs were burning, straining for air.

I struggled through the hole, hurriedly swimming towards the surface.

Suddenly, I jerked to a stop. My foot was caught; snarled in the net.

I fought to free it; kicking at it desperately with my other foot. Agh, I couldn't get loose.

My world began to blur.

I struck at the rope with the dagger, but was too weak to have any hope of cutting it.

I jolted forward, clutching my stomach in a last ditch attempt to hold my breath.

The air I had left in my lungs escaped in a rush. But there was none to draw back in.

The water-filtered sunlight seemed to dim around me. I struggled weakly against the cursed bit of net holding me down… Everything started to darken… I looked up, as though to get a last look at the light…

After all this… Link… I failed him…

A shadow passed over me. Then another.

Despite the numbness creeping through me, I felt a touch on my arm; a gentle tug.

After that, everything was blackness…

* * *

Author's note: switching to **Kayla's Point of View**

After ridding myself of that fairy pest, I started to leave in search of the 'hero'.

However, before I even left my sister's room, I realized that there was no need for me to go traipsing about the castle in search of him myself. I could have someone else deliver my message for me.

I proceeded to write a short note to the 'hero'.

_My dearest Link,_

_Meet me in the garden after dinner._

_Yours truly,_

_Zelda_

I would leave it to him to anticipate the reason for the meeting…

Now, to find someone to take it to him. I stepped out of my sister's room, gently shutting the door behind me to ensure that no one would chance to hear the fairy in the closet.

"Good afternoon, Zelda." A voice greeted me from behind.

I jumped slightly, whirling around to see who was there. Ah, it was my sister's and my Sheikah attendant, "Oh, you startled me, Impa. Do you have to lurk about like that?"

The stern Sheikah smiled tersely, "I'm afraid so, my princess. It's my duty, remember?"

"I know… just… sometimes you still surprise me, that's all." I found it hard to keep my voice light, and innocent. How I hated the Sheikah, the cursed shadow creatures. They somehow had the uncanny ability to escape my detection; though they were skilled in the use of magic, I could not sense their presence. And that troubled me. However, I managed to keep up my mask of sincerity, "You haven't happened to see Link around, have you?"

"Hm, I believe he was tending to Epona in the royal stable." Impa crossed her arms, "However, if you believe yourself to be sufficiently recovered, your presence is requested in the throne room."

"Oh… alright." Probably some, petty affairs of state my father wished me to witness. I looked back at Impa, offering her the note, "Then… could you… give this to Link for me?"

"Of course." The Sheikah woman nodded, accepting the slip of paper. I saw her glance discreetly at what I had written before folding it in half and tucking it into a pouch in her belt. "You had best make haste to the throne room; your father is not an overly patient man."

I smiled sweetly, "I know. Thank you, Impa."

"Hm." She nodded again, "You're welcome, my princess."

I turned and hurried towards the throne room.

This was all working out well. With Impa delivering the note for me, the 'hero' couldn't inquire as to why we couldn't speak immediately. That would serve my purposes well.

Very well indeed.

* * *

Author's note: switching to **Link's Point of View**

"Woah, girl!" I laughed as Epona nuzzled against me roughly, searching for carrots, "What's the matter, oats aren't good enough for you anymore?"

My faithful steed neighed in confirmation, her liquid brown eyes dancing with mirth.

I laughed again, rubbing my hand over her velvety muzzle, "Ah, you're spoiled rotten as it is! No carrots today! Now, hold still so I can finish brushing your coat, you scruffy excuse for a pack horse. Hey!"

I caught at her bridle as she reared up on her hind legs, snorting like a warhorse. I held on tightly as she stood farther; the leather bridle creaked as she lifted me slowly off the ground.

Then, carefully, she came back down to rest on all for hooves, prancing a little and giving me a look that most clearly said, 'Let's see a pack horse do _that_!'

I smiled, chuckling softly as I combed the bristly brush through her tangled mane, "You know I'm kidding, old girl." I said, working loose a couple of particularly bad snarls, "You're the best horse a hero could ask for, you know that?"

My crimson companion whinnied affectionately, and pulled my hat off, "… even if you _are_ a little too frisky for your own good!" I laughed, snatching the hat back.

"Having fun, are we?" A voice asked from behind.

I turned, returning my hat to its rightful place on top of my head, "Ah, just a little horseplay, Impa. Are you here to check up on Jaesp? The stablekeeper took her out for some exercise just a few minutes ago."

Impa nodded, "Yes, I know. He was just leaving when I arrived. I have faith that he will be able to handle him."

"I dunno, you had him trained to do some pretty bizarre tricks." My hand wandered back to Epona's mane, "Like bolting as soon as the rider hits the saddle."

"Sheikah horses have many 'bizarre tricks'." A trace of a smile played at the edge of Impa's features, "But I did not come to bore you with explanations of equine behavior. Zelda has asked me to deliver this note." She drew a slip of paper from a pocket in her belt.

I read it over at a glance before looking back up at Impa, excitement shinning in my eyes, "A meeting? In the garden? What for?"

Impa's face returned to its normal, stern look, "I am not entirely sure. Perhaps she means to start where you left off that night the Lizalfos attacked."

"Maybe…" Did I dare hope that was the reason for our meeting? I snapped back to the present, "Thanks, Impa. I'll be there."

* * *

Author's note: 

Gaah, that wasn't much of a cliffie...

Oh, well. At least I still have Zelda at the bottom of the river for everyone to worry about. (even though some of you probably have an idea of what's going to happen...)

Don't forget to review!


	14. Chapter 13

Author's note:

After countless revisions, (and a number of those revisions being _erased_ by a cantankerous computer...), this chapter is finally done. As done as it's going to be, anyway.

I'm still not completely happy with it, but I figure I'd better post it before I lose my mind...

Thanks for all the reviews, and and for being patient!

This chapter is in **Zelda's Point of View**

* * *

All was dark around me. I felt… strangely conscious… almost like I was awake. 

I opened my eyes. I found myself lying in the middle of a large field.

For a moment, I feared I had returned to the land in my last dream; the never ending field… but those fears were soon banished as I examined my surroundings.

Small, blue flowers peeked from between the stems of the tall, tan-colored grass. A single tree stood in a small clearing a few hundred yards away. Surrounding the field on all sides, were smooth, sandy cliffs. They looked somehow protective… not menacing, as one would think they would be… Everything was bright, and calm. A cool breeze rustled through the field; dispelling the last of my suspicions. This was _definitely_ not the same field as in my last dream.

But… if it wasn't the same place… then where _was_ this place?

Was this the afterlife? Somehow, I had imagined it… bigger. I don't know, more blissful, or something. Not that large, calm fields aren't… well… blissful. To a certain extent anyway.

Deciding to study my surroundings by means of exploration, I stood up dusting the fine, tan dust off my clothing. I found, to my complete and utter surprise, that I was dressed in my court dress. The same one I had on before all this started.

Not only that, but my hair was back to its natural length. It cascaded about my shoulders as I looked down at my dress.

This was all really strange… I looked around again, trying to decide what to do.

My gaze came to rest on a figure sitting at the base of the lone tree.

A girl.

She seemed to be… reading?

I hesitated for a moment. Should I investigate?

That was the easiest question in all Hyrule; of course I should. I slowly approached, my steps falling lightly on the soft ground as I entered the clearing.

The girl looked up from the large volume she had been engrossed in, "Glad to see you're awake." She smiled.

I looked her over. She looked about my age, maybe a few years younger… or, no… maybe a few years older… to tell the truth, I couldn't be sure. Her delicate face was flushed with youth, and yet spoke of age beyond years; her petite frame delicate, and yet strong. Her long, ocean-blue hair was pulled back in a smooth, practical, pony-tail.

As I stood, sizing her up, as it was, my gaze became suddenly locked with hers. Her eyes, a gentle gray color behind the slim reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, were filled to the brim with… with _knowing_. A deep sense of immeasurable wisdom was hidden within her gaze.

The girl sighed, closing her book with a soft 'thump' and setting it beside her, "I _knew_ this would happen at some point… When your sister was taken by Ganondorf, I _knew_ she would eventually do something like this…" She stood up, brushing the dirt off her khaki colored pants, and plucking a bit of grass from the sleeve of her pale blue shirt. Suddenly, she looked up, her brow knitting as she gave me an impatient look, "Well?"

I gave her a clueless look. Did she expect something from me…?

"You must be reeling with questions." The girl said, crossing her arms, "We don't have all day, you know. Well, I guess you don't... but _really_! I figured you would have asked at least thirty-six and a half questions by now!"

Thirty-six and a half? A smile tugged at the edge of my mouth. Somehow… I found myself liking this girl. It was like she knew me… and I kind of knew her… sort of…

I motioned that I was unable to speak.

"How do you know if you don't try?"

By this time, I was _almost_ completely and thoroughly confused. Who was this girl? Why did she think I could speak? I mean, I had been silenced, hadn't I? Or… well… _hadn't I?_

The blue-haired girl sighed. Then walked straight up to me and flicked me hard in the nose.

"Ow!" My hand shot to my face. "What was that-" I stopped, realizing that I was speaking. _Out loud_. "- for… How…?"

The girl smiled again, brushing a few strands of her hair out of her face, "Come on, Zelda, I thought you would have figured this out by now! How could you be in a field, dressed normally, _and_ able to speak?"

"Ah… am I… am I… dead?" I uttered somewhat slowly, still getting used to the recently regained use of my voice, not to mention the idea that I was no longer _alive_.

Thankfully, a burst of soft laughter escaped from the girl's lips before I could entertain this thought any longer, "Of course not!" She pressed a finger against my forehead, "We're in _here_."

I raised an eyebrow. "In… my head?"

"Yes!" She laughed again, most likely at the extremely confused look that must be plastered on my face.

"Why…? How?" I asked haltingly, feeling just as confused as I probably appeared. How could _this_ be in my head? "And… and… who are you?"

"Hm… well, you can call me whatever you wish." The girl's eyes sparkled as she adjusted her glasses, "But my name is Nayru."

"You were named for the goddess of wisdom?" I raised my eyebrows a little.

"… you _could_… say that…" Nayru cleared her throat, adjusting her glasses again, and murmuring softly, "… I wouldn't…" Then she looked back up, "But there isn't time to discuss the origins of my name; we have business to take care of."

"… business?" This was all coming in a rush. Business? I was feeling overwhelmed…

Nayru nodded curtly, "Yes, business. I've been trying to get you here for the past couple of days, but the bond your sister has with you has kept me from contacting you. Let me see your hand. No, not that one. The left one, if you please."

I hesitated, "Why?"

The blue-haired girl sighed, "You're sister stole the Triforce of Wisdom from you, correct?"

"… yes…" I nodded slowly, looking at Nayru suspiciously.

"Well, you have to have it back." She said, taking my hand in hers, "You were the one meant for the Triforce of Wisdom, not her. No matter how similar the two of you are. That's just how it goes. I'm going to transfer it back to you. Hold still; this will sting a little."

She tapped the back of my hand with her left index finger.

It did sting a little, but the feeling went away quickly. I looked at the back of my hand; there was still no mark of the Triforce.

"It will be a few hours before it shows up." Nayru plucked distractedly at the sleeve of her shirt, "It's tricky for something as significant as the Triforce to travel between people with magical ties."

"Ties?" I looked back at Nayru. This was getting more and more confusing…

"Yes… ties." She paused for a moment, "You don't know, do you?" Abruptly, she turned, picked up the thick book she had been reading and sat back against the tree. "Come." She beckoned, flipping through the pages.

"What is it?" I knelt on the ground next to her, peering over her shoulder at the age-worn pages of the book. They were filled with writing in a language I didn't recognize. Thankfully, Nayru translated them.

"'Concerning the magical bonds of wizards and other users of the dark arts'" Nayru read in a clear voice, "… hm-hm… skip this bit about enacting the ties… ah, here we are." She began to read aloud from the page again, "A tie is most powerful when made with a blood relative, though can be made with a person of no relation (note, however, that the tie will not be as strong, and can thus be broken more easily). By drawing upon the magical power of the subject, the host's abilities are augmented depending on the strength of the subject.'" She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, "That's what Kayla's done with you. The complex design of the ties makes it infinitely hard to exchange anything magical from her to you, though things move relatively easily from you to her."

Great. This means that fairy who gifted me with magic earlier had made my sister more powerful… "Can't the ties be broken?"

I listened with rapt attention as Nayru began reading again, "'At any time, the host may choose to sever the bond between himself and his subject, (though the direct drop in energy would do considerable harm to his body). Rarely can a bond be broken otherwise; the reason being that once a bond has been established, magical intervention on the part of a third party is rendered ineffective, and the subject itself can not be stronger than the host, and thus can not break the bond.'"

My gaze shifted to the ground. So… I was stuck with my sister. Still, a question nagged at the back of my mind. I looked back at Nayru, "… if her bond draws on my strength, why don't I feel weak?"

She shut the book again, laying it flat on her lap and turning her head to speak directly to me, "She's been bonded to you for so long, you're used to it."

"But wouldn't I have felt it when she first made the bond?" I brushed a few strands of hair behind my ear. I didn't recall ever feeling magically weak…

"Remember the winter when you were eight? You came down with a case of Tektite fever. A highly contagious virus, and dangerous too, if not treated correctly." Nayru gazed at the book she held in her lap. "Yours was a bad case. It kept you in bed for weeks."

"Of course I remember… Impa was constantly at my bedside through the whole thing… but how do you know…?" Gradually, a realization dawned in my mind, "You're not named for the goddess… are you…?"

Nayru smiled, her gray eyes sparkling slightly, as if delighting in my realizing the truth, "I _did_ choose a proper guardian for the Triforce of Wisdom, didn't I?" She chuckled, adjusting her glasses and returning to the subject at hand, "Yes, faithful Impa. She never left you for more than a few moments. Wasn't it strange that she never came down with the fever?"

"I… I… never thought of it before…" I struggled to maintain a normal speaking voice. This was… this had… I was… was I… talking with the goddess of wisdom? My mind reeled in astonishment.

"Don't lose your head, Zelda. We still have a lot to go over." Nayru wagged a finger in my direction, "Just because I'm a goddess doesn't mean we can't carry on a conversation! Now," Her gaze held mine, "Was it strange, or wasn't it?"

"I… suppose it was rather strange…" I paused, trying to collect my scattered thoughts, "Was that…?"

"Ganon was tricky. He made the bonding resemble a sickness." Nayru's delicate hands tightened their grip on the book. She looked down, closing her eyes as she continued, "Normally, it would have lasted only a few days; not differing from a normal case of tektite fever. But it had to break through the protective barrier I had set up around you."

"And… did it…?" I asked quietly.

Nayru nodded silently.

"But I thought…" I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to offend one of the creators of the world, "I thought the goddesses were… more powerful than Ganon."

The blue-haired goddess sighed again, "The three of us together are an even match for Ganon. And don't you go mistaking Ganon for his pawn, Ganondorf." She warned sternly, "Ganon is the embodiment of all evil. Just as Din, Farore, and I are the embodiments of all things good. You see, his evil balances our good mark for mark. The only thing that keeps Hyrule from becoming completely neutral are the people like you, Link, and the sages; those who fight for good. The triforce comes into play as well, though not of its own accord."

"What would happen if Hyrule became neutral?" I hugged my knees to my chest, feeling slightly more comfortable that, even after asking a question like that, I wasn't going to be eternally punished, or anything.

"Good and evil would be in a constant, physical struggle." Nayru's gaze met mine, "The entire country would be thrown into turmoil; those who believe in what is good fighting those who believe in what they _think_ is good. If the scales tipped any further in the favor of evil… it would be like Ganondorf's reign all over again." She sighed, shaking her head, "We can't allow that to occur. In any case, Ganon _did_ get through my barrier, and your sister became bonded to you."

"How did Ganon overpower you if you're equally matched for one another? And what about Ganondorf's reign? How did he come to power if…" I knitted my brow, this was all so… overwhelming… "Wait… why are you telling me all of this?"

"Ganon _is_ a match for the three of us." Nayru removed her glasses, polishing them on her shirt as she spoke, "Din, Farore, and I could have prevented him from creating the bond, but the strain would have been too much for you. We had to give in to him, or watch you be killed by our resistance. In the case of Ganondorf's reign, Ganon… well… he struck faster than we had foreseen… the Hero of Time was not yet ready to battle with Ganondorf. When Link was sealed in time, the scales tipped, and… well, you know the rest." She was silent for a few moments. The soft breeze rustled once more through the tall grass. Nayru stood abruptly, a fierce determination flashed in her gray eyes. "You're being told this so you can try to save Link. Ganon's using your sister in an attempt to destroy the Hero of Time."

"But… how am I supposed to save him?" I looked up at Nayru from my sitting position, "If I can't be stronger than Kayla, how am I supposed to-"

"You'll know. Trust me." Nayru looked up at the sky, then back at me, "I'm afraid our time is almost up, Zelda. Make your way to the fairy who lives near Jabu-Jabu; that's the next step. Don't worry about it making Kayla more powerful. It's not for me to explain why. You don't have much time. I'm sorry I can't do anything else for you."

"Wait… Nayru… do you," I breathed in, gathering the courage to ask, "Do you know what's going to happen to Link? To us?"

Nayru smiled gently, that same soft, knowing look in her eyes, touched with a hint of sadness,

-

"_What hatred destroys,_

_Love can regain._

_The tears mourning_

_The willing sacrifice_

_Return the breath_

_Of one lost."_

-

I looked at her questioningly, striving to decipher the meaning of the words, "Is Link…"

Nayru shook her head slowly, almost regretfully, "I'm afraid I can reveal no more to you than that. The future is a troublesome thing; it's not meant for mortals to know what will happen in days to come. Even goddesses have a hard time predicting what will come to be." Her smile was small and cheerless this time, "May your wisdom flourish, dear princess."

Everything blurred before my eyes. I tried to tell Nayru I didn't care if the future would trouble me; I wanted to know if Link would be alright. But my voice seemed caught in my throat.

Things continued to blur and darken rapidly until the field and everything in it and surrounding it was completely lost to my sight. I went numb all over. Suddenly, my sides began to hurt. It felt like I couldn't breathe. There was a dull ringing in my ears. Then the sound of muddled voices. Or maybe just one voice. I couldn't tell.

I slowly drifted into consciousness, finding myself being supported on either side by my arms, convulsed in a coughing fit, water pouring out of my lungs.

I also became aware of something pounding against my back. "C'mon, cough it up. Huh, these land creatures. Get it in their minds that they can swim, and they think they can live under the sea…"

I gulped in lungfuls of air, even though it rasped in my water-logged throat. Groggily, I forced myself to open my eyes.

At first, everything was a blur of blue and brown and white. Then, gradually, my sight cleared. I was standing on some kind of stone platform overlooking a deep, calm, pool of water. At each corner of the platform was a kind of decorated pillar, and, at one end, stairs led down into more shallow water. The entire… area… of sorts, was surrounded with large, mountainous rocks. There was a passage leading out in the direction of the shallow water, and a small ledge and cave readily accessible if one crossed the aforementioned deep, calm, pool of water.

I managed to turn my head a bit and saw that I was being supported by two, male Zora. Each of them was several inches taller than I; their blue-ish scales shone in the late afternoon sun.

"Are you all right?" One of them asked, looking at me with large, obsidian eyes.

Not wanting to seem any weaker than necessary, I nodded, and they released me gently.

Immediately, my knees buckled and I dropped to the ground.

Me and my stupid ego.

"Hey, take it easy," the other Zora knelt beside me, putting a slick hand on my shoulder. His gills undulated with his words, "You nearly joined the river spirits a few moments ago."

"Yes, you are extremely fortunate," The first Zora added, "I have never seen a Hylian live without one of our tunics after such a long time underwater."

I grinned wryly, remembering the slick feel of Link's Zora tunic that time he had allowed me to try it. The tunic was large for me, and awkward, but the feel of breathing underwater was so unreal, it made up for it by tenfold.

I vaguely supposed that Nayru was the one responsible for my still being alive. I closed my eyes in a brief prayer of thanks.

"Stop dreaming, young one," one of the Zora shook me gently out of my reverie, "to sleep so soon after awakening could be dangerous to you. Now tell me, do you have a name?"

Here we go again with the talking thing… I nodded weakly, anticipating the awkward silence that would follow as the Zora waited in vain for me to introduce myself.

However, after a few moments, (hardly long enough to qualify as an awkward silence), the second Zora asked, "Do you speak?"

I don't know if it was insight, or merely impatience, but it saved me a lot of trouble. I shook my head. I was starting to feel a little better, and got to my feet with help from the Zora.

"You may call me Zhion" The first Zora, with the obsidian eyes, said.

"And I am Yurei." The second Zora said, and inclined his head slightly.

I smiled as graciously as I could, and nodded, trying to appear thankful for them saving me from a watery grave.

The two of them smiled and exchanged glances, "Er… please excuse us for a moment." And the two of them withdrew a few feet to confer in hushed tones.

I was mildly curious as to what they were discussing, but, currently, other issues drew my attention.

Now that my head was clear, (mostly clear, anyway), I recognized where I was.

This was Lord Jabu Jabu's offering place. It looked much different; last time I was here, the whole place was frozen over.

That meant… the other Great Fairy was around here somewhere. It was… I looked around… there. The cave across the pool. The area around it was still scarred from the bomb Link had used to clear the entrance.

Nayru had said not to worry about visiting the Great Fairy making my sister stronger… but I couldn't help feeling a little... concerned.

Of course, it didn't really matter. I would still do it anyway.

Really, if the goddess of wisdom told you to do something, you would do it, right?

I thought so.

One of the Zoras cleared his throat.

I turned to see what they needed. They both seemed a bit reluctant to tell me about whatever theyhad beendiscussing.

"Erm… we have decided… that it would be best for you to stay here until nightfall." _What!_ My thoughts screamed. I can't stay here that long! The look on my face must have communicated my feelings, for Zhion continued, "You see, Princess Ruto is… erm… having… problems… with her newly betrothed… and is quite eager to make him jealous."

"And while other Zora would leap at the chance to wed Princess Ruto…" The Yurei picked up from Zhion, gesturing appropriately with his pale arms, "… we… somehow doubt that you would be pleased."

"You see, she has… a… a _tendency _to fall for handsome, land-dwelling Hylians." Zhion shrugged. "We Zora would like to avoid trans-species betrothals, if possible. So… if you don't mind…"

If it weren't for the fact that these Zora were going to keep me here for… I glanced at the sky… a number of _hours_… If it weren't for that, I would be laughing myself hoarse.

Which, technically, I already was. But _still_! Ruto… with boy troubles? And all the Zora trying to keep her from dating outside her own specie? She always _was_ a strange one…

Getting a hold on my thoughts, I suddenly realized that the two of them were telling me this because they thought Ruto would want to hook up with _me_.

They obviously had no idea who I was, or that I was a girl.

Oh well. Let them think what they want. I wouldn't be around much longer anyway.

"So… you understand out dilemma?" Yurei asked anxiously.

I nodded.

"And you'll stay here?" Zhion seemed to hold his breath in anticipation.

I hesitated a moment, then nodded again.

After all, I _would_ be staying here…

… for a little while.

Anyway, I couldn't go without stopping by the Great Fairy's cave.

Both Zora exhaled simultaneously in relief.

"Thank you. You have our gratitude. We shall be back shortly." Zhion bowed, then turned to Yurei, "Come, let us go find something for our guest to eat."

As if on cue, my stomach growled heartily. I hadn't eaten since this morning, and traveling all day, (not to mention nearly _drowning_), didn't help anything.

I hugged myself hard in an attempt to suppress the sound, and must have succeeded, for the Zora merely continued out of the area.

All right, now it's time to get down to business.

I've got to get over to that cave on the other side of the pool, preferably without taking in more than a quart of water.

Hm… could I swim it?

I jumped from one leg to the other experimentally. I was pretty steady. And I was a good swimmer, under normal circumstances. And you can't really get any more normal than a big, standing pool, right?

But, really, you can't get much more abnormal than almost drowning at the hands of giant lizards and a Sheikah…

Oh no.

I completely forgot about Isaan.

What had happened to him! Was he captured? Tortured? Thrown into the river after Zhion and Yurei had left with me?

I bit my lip, whatever happened to him was all my fault. Ugh, why did he have to get involved in this! There were enough people in danger as it was…

His chances were slim if he was caught. They were slimmer if he was tossed into the river. Either way, he probably…

I shook my head, forcing the thought away. I had enough to worry about now. I could worry about him after I get across this pool of water and see the Great Fairy. If I could do it before those two Zora came back, I could eat and be out of here in… less than an hour. Probably.

Anyways, my best bet was to go straight across. Yup. Straight across that who-knows-how-deep-it-is pool of water. Shortest distance between two points, and all.

I took a deep breath, trying to judge the distance I would have to swim.

It couldn't be more than a hundred yards. Maybe two.

Yeah...

_Okay, Zelda, quit stalling_… I steeled myself up, and walked to the edge of the platform. I cast a quick glance behind me to make sure Zhion and Yurei weren't coming, and slipped over the edge of the stone into the water.

It was cold. Not quite as cold as the river had been, but pretty cold all the same.

For half a second, I thought I couldn't do it. I didn't want to swim across this… this thing. My hands clutched at the stone rim of the platform, refusing to let go for fear of what could happen.

It wasn't that far, I told myself, not that far. Only a little ways.

I clenched my teeth and released my hold on the edge of the stone.

_After this... I'm never going swimming again..._


	15. Chapter 14

Author's note:

Oh. My gosh. The Fiercesomest Dragon Ever... updating something?! It's a miracle! A super-natural phenomenon! Has global warming gone up a few notches lately? -goes outside to check- ... nope. Must be the ozone layer deterioration, or something.

Ahem, anyways, thank you soooooooooooooo much for reviewing, everyone who reviewed! Especially Feey, who reminded me to update a while ago. Xp

Alright, time to get back in the swing of things here.

* * *

My name is Zelda, Princess of Hyrule and sole heir to the Hylian throne. I am seventeen years old, eighteen, come September, and have just recently survived being attacked by a gang of Lizalfos, dropped off a cliff in a net, (a weighted net, _if _you'll remember), and chatting with the venerable goddess of wisdom, Nayru. What a crazy day. Oh, yes. I almost forgot. My own sister kidnapped me, cast a spell to bind my voice, and is set on breaking the heart of the one I love most in all of Hyrule.

How Isaan, the Sheikah who helped me in the woods, is involved in all this, (or if he's even alive at the moment), remains a mystery to me.

Focusing back on the task at hand, I steeled myself up, and walked to the edge of the platform overlooking Lord Jabu-Jabu's pool. The Great Fairy's cave was on the other side. I cast a quick glance behind me to make sure Zhion and Yurei, the Zoras who rescued me from the riverbed, weren't coming, and slipped over the edge of the stone into the water.

It was cold. Not quite as cold as the river had been, but pretty cold all the same.

For half a second, I thought I couldn't do it. I didn't want to swim across this… this thing. My hands clutched at the stone rim of the platform, refusing to let go for fear of what could happen.

It wasn't that far, I told myself, not that far. Only a little ways.

I clenched my teeth and released my hold on the edge of the stone.

(Hope that catches y'all up. This chapter starts in Zelda's Point of View.)

* * *

_Oh, Nayru, I thank you for watching over me thus far in my journey, and for letting me meet you face to face. Never will I think poorly of people wearing glasses. I thank you for giving me wits enough to escape from my captors, and for the Zora who saved me from the river, and I pray that you will protect me even now, as best you can,_ I prayed fervently, _and don't let me drown. Please._

I ended my prayer hastily for two reasons.

One, I couldn't think of anything else to say. The prayer seemed pretty complete to me.

And, two, my grip on the ledge at the other side of the pool slipped, and I was busy spitting out water and trying to catch hold of the slippery rock again before I sank to the bottom.

Yeah. I managed to swim all the way over here, and now I'm stuck. The ledge was higher up than it looked from the other side, and I'm too tired to go back, (the episode in the river left me with less energy than I thought). So now I'm here, clinging to the slick rocks on the side of this ledge for dear life.

When are Zhion and Yurei coming back? I glanced anxiously at the other side of the pool. They had to come eventually, right? I mean, they _had_ to.

I couldn't feel my fingers again. Curse this abominably cold water!

I gritted my teeth and tried once more to pull myself up out of the water.

My arms burned, (well, actually, it was more of a painful, numb-ness, since 'burning' would pertain to being warm, which I was not.), but I couldn't get any higher.

So I clung there, my breath ragged in my throat.

Maybe trying to swim over here wasn't such a good idea.

No, scratch that.

Maybe trying to swim over here was one of the _worst ideas I've ever had_.

My hand was slipping. I couldn't hold on to the rock much longer.

I struggled to keep my head up.

_Please… _I prayed again, slipping lower, _Help…_

The water rippled strongly.

At first, I didn't notice anything unusual about it; I was too busy struggling to breathe between waves.

My grip gave out. I shut my eyes, coughing as I went under, which rid me of the little air I had in my lungs.

I was dead. This time, for sure, I was dead.

The Zora would find me at the bottom of this pool, and wonder what the heck made her think to take a swim after nearly drowning.

I was so stupid for thinking this was a good idea. So idiotic, and silly, and… I was standing on something.

And it was moving up. Out of the water.

It was something alive!

Water rushed off of the thing's enormous head as it rose out of the pool, nearly taking me with it.

I collapsed onto my hands and knees, breathing heavily, my heart hammering in my chest. What…? I stared at the slippery scales beneath my hands.

Then it hit me.

This was Lord Jabu-Jabu's pool.

_Thank you…_I half crawled, half slid off of the giant fish, onto the ledge.

Jabu-Jabu's large eyes gleamed knowingly before he re-submerged.

I sat for a moment, shivering, on the ledge, trying to get a hold of myself.

Almost drowning twice in one day… and being saved _both times_… that's _got_ to be some kind of record.

After silently promising to treat Lord Jabu-Jabu to the biggest, most delicious fish I could find when this was over, I rose and made my way cautiously into the cave.

This time, instead of a weird, pink light, there was no light save the rays of the sun slanting in through the cave's entrance.

The gray stone floor was polished smooth, though the walls were rough and unfinished.

It felt… empty.

I crept forward.

In the center of the room stood an empty pedestal of white stone. There was a worn Triforce symbol on the floor before the pedestal.

Hm… maybe if I stand on it?... Link spoke all the time about switches triggered by weight…

I stepped onto the symbol.

Nothing.

It seemed the Great Fairy was out for the day. Or something.

Why? Nayru had said to come here. Why wouldn't the fairy be here?

For goodness sake, after all this, for the fairy not to even _be here_?!

_There has to be a reason_, I told myself as hot tears pricked my eyes, _Maybe… maybe I just have to wait?_

I had just decided the best course of action would be to check and see if Zhion and Yurei were back with food, and come back here, (even though it would mean swimming across that pool again), when a flicker of light caught my eye.

Looking back, I saw that something now lay on the pedestal.

Perhaps the fairy was home after all…

Furrowing my brow, I examined the object.

It was a dagger, slightly longer than Isaan's Sheikah knife. As I touched it, a wave of energy swept through me. It felt like I was being washed clean; all my fatigue dissipated like mist in the sun. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. _So this was fairy magic…_It was gentler than I had imagined it.

After a moment, I opened my eyes, feeling better than I had in days.

I drew the knife out of its black sheath. The blade was forged of white steel; its hilt bound carefully in black leather. Upon closer examination, I found that the hilt was emblazoned with the symbol of the Triforce. It shimmered with magic; wards against other spells, unless I missed my guess.

My attention was suddenly drawn by a few lines of words inscribed in the top of the pedestal. I ran my hand over the intricately carved writing.

-

"What hatred destroys,

Love can regain.

The tears mourning

The willing sacrifice

Return the breath

Of one lost."

-

This was what Nayru told me earlier. My brow knitted as I read on…

-

You have all you need, Zelda.

Go now, to your sister and loved one.

-

My heart beat quickened as I finished reading.

Was I to use this against Kayla? I turned the weapon over in my hands. Against… my sister?

"Hello?" I turned quickly at the sound of the faint call, which was followed by random pieces of conversation, "… told you we shouldn't have left him… got to be around here somewhere…"

Must be Zhion and Yurei.

_Thank you, Great Fairy._ I slid the dagger back into its sheath, cast one last glance

around the fairy's room, and hurried out.

The two Zoras were dumbfounded, (to say the _very_ least), when they caught sight of me swimming the length of the pool.

At full strength, the couple hundred yards of swimming was as easy as if I had walked the distance. (Plus, my clothes were already soaking wet. Why not get them wet one more time?)

Anyways, the two of them had brought a tray of very… unique-looking food.

"I apologize for our hurry," Zhion said, motioning towards the exit, "but Yurei and I must rush back, or we will surely be missed."

"Remember, wait until sunset." Yurei added as a parting note.

I nodded absent-mindedly, all the while thinking about the best way to get out of here undetected.

Hm… the only exit was through the passage Zhion and Yurei had taken, (unless there was an underwater way, though I doubt I could hold my breath long enough to take it).

I would have to go that way.

Of course, that would take me right past the Zora king… but I would cross that bridge when I came to it.

I was in the midst of sorting the food the two Zora had brought me into two sections, the recognizable, and the… questionable, when I felt a twinge on the back of my left hand. I brushed it, thinking a bug had bitten me, or something, but failed to knock away any offending insects. Curious. I looked at my hand. The faint outline of a triangle was beginning to appear.

If anyone had come back to check on me, they'd have thought I was crazy, I was grinning so hard.

It looked like something was finally going right.

* * *

Author's note: Switching to **Link's Point of Veiw**

I straightened my collar and made a last attempt at brushing my gold hair out of my eyes. It swept right back to where it had been a moment before, but I paid no mind. Then, clearing my throat, I strolled casually into the palace gardens.

It was early. Very early. Zelda was probably just starting dinner.

I had opted to skip dinner, not wanting to risk becoming too nervous and making myself sick…

As it was, my heart was beating like it was being chased by a pack of rabid wolfos. And maybe a dodongo or two, just for good measure.

I stopped walking and took a deep, relaxing breath; inhaling the sweet scent of just-bloomed flowers. Fresh leaves rustled gently in the breeze.

I wasn't usually this nervous around Zelda… just… this meeting… If it was her intention to resume where we left off… I glanced at the crumpled paper in my hand.

-

_My dearest Link,_

_Meet me in the garden after dinner._

_Yours truly,_

_Zelda_

-

My head spun with the implications the note held. I ran a hand through my hair out of habit, ruining all my previous attempts to smooth it back. Navi would probably tell me I was worrying too much.

Earlier, I had become painfully aware of my lack of a fairy partner. For once, I actually missed having Navi around; her blunt way of telling me how stupid I was for being nervous always helped me calm down.

I glanced at the sky. The sun was still far from the horizon.

_Great idea, Link. Get here a few hours early…_I kicked at a stone on the garden path. _Give yourself plenty of time to think of ways to mess up tonight…_

It wasn't like there was anything else I needed to do… after I finished grooming Epona, my entire afternoon was unplanned. I had kind of counted on Navi to think up some kind of prank to play on Impa, or something, to pass the time.

Where was Navi anyway? I had scoured the castle looking for her… must be off annoying the heck out of the dogs in Hyrule market. She always did like those runty, little pooches…

I sighed heavily.

Figures she's not around the one time I need some moral support.

Stepping carefully over a row of young Iris, I leaned against a handsome maple tree to wait.

Pulling out my ocarina, I attempted to play my worries away.

My fingers moved expertly over the instrument as I blew softly into the mouthpiece, creating a song as I went.

It wasn't one of my better pieces, but it helped me relax somewhat.

Or at least secured the last shreds of my fleeting sanity.

How long would it be until Zelda came?

* * *

... and how long until another super-natural fic-updating occurance? Only time will tell. Time, and maybe something I say in my review replies. (If, indeed, I have any reviews to reply to. Xp)

Sorry again for the insanely long wait! On a side note, isn't Twilight Princess a sweet game? I still haven't beaten it, but I'm LOVING the new sword techniques! And Epona... oh, don't even get me started...

I'd better stop before I'm accused of rambling at the end of my chapters. See you all next time, and please don't forget to review! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


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